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Italian Meatballs are a must-have for family meals
Well, they always were when I was growing up. And when we were feeding our kids. Now our daughters make pretty much these same Italian Meatballs. They are easy and absolutely delicious. 3 or 4 generations of happy people can’t be wrong, can they?
I should start by admitting that I am not, in the least bit, of Italian heritage. We have a lot of German on one side and some Scots on the other. The rest is most likely a hodge-podge, much as is the case with a lot of us here in the USA.
Not Italian, but I learned from Italians
I grew up in an area of Upstate NY. At one time, the primary economic force was a company called Endicott Johnson. EJ was a shoe manufacturing company. Because it was relatively easy to find a decent job here, it was an area that attracted a lot of immigrants from various parts of Europe. Immigrants from Italy were very well represented in that number. Growing up, it seemed there was an Italian restaurant on every corner. That’s not at all a bad thing, I assure you.
We were Catholic, so as you might imagine, we knew a lot of families of Italian descent in our little town. If you think having a lot of Italian restaurants is a fine thing, being invited to dinner by Italian families is even better. These wonderful Italian cooks were very generous with their recipes as well. That meant my Mom was also a very good Italian cook, even though no one in her family had likely ever been closer to Italy than a can of Chef Boyardee.
“Lee’s Meatballs”
The meatballs my Mom always made were called “Lee’s Meatballs”. My Mom had gotten the recipe from her friend Lee, and that is how it was labeled in her recipe box. When Mom copied it on a card for me, she labeled it the same way. I still have that card I think.
I have only the vaguest memory of Lee herself, but her meatballs were, and remain, a thing of beauty. This recipe is almost exactly as Lee wrote it down. I have not changed them much. They have more breadcrumbs now because Lidia Bastianich says that Americans don’t use enough bread in our meatballs, and I always listen to Lidia. I use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, and I’m not sure the recipe has always had onions in it like it does now.
Freeze extras to use another day
For the most part, though, this is the same recipe that we enjoyed often while growing up. They don’t take very long to make, and you can double or even triple the recipe and freeze some to use later. That way, when you’re in a hurry, they are as easy as those awful, squishy store-bought frozen ones. You can put these right in your sauce frozen, and they’ll thaw nicely in there. See? Easy!
Bake them for the best flavor
You can, and I sometimes do, just put the raw meatballs in your simmering sauce. Just take care not to break them apart when stirring. They will cook nicely in there. It’s good for when you’re in a hurry, or don’t want to turn on the oven.
I do think they add more flavor to the sauce if you bake them in a hot oven [400°] for about 20 minutes. They get a bit of browning on the outside and get part way cooked through. They’ll need at least 10 more minutes, cooking in the sauce, to be sure they are done all the way through. See the notes in the recipe, below for other ways to use them.
Let’s make some meatballs!
Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 1 medium onion diced small
- 3 large cloves garlic minced [or grated]
- 3/4 cup plain tomato sauce
- 3 cups fresh bread crumbs [1 & 1/2 dried]
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 20 grinds fresh black pepper [1/2 teaspoon ground]
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley [1 tablespoon dried]
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl, and use your hands, or a spoon to combine thoroughly.
- Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper and set the oven to 400º.
- I portion these with a medium cookie scoop so that they are a uniform size. Once you have them portioned, roll them gently with wet hands [or wear rubber gloves] to form smooth balls, and space evenly on the cooking sheet
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until they are nicely browned on the outside. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Remove to a pan of sauce, at a simmer [or plate to cool off] and discard the accumulated fat in the pan.
- In sauce, they will take about 10 minutes to finish cooking all the way through, but you can simmer them for up to an hour, to really blend flavors.
Notes
Make sure to cool them on a plate if you plan to freeze them.
You can put them right into your sauce of course, where the flavors blend and deepen until serving time.
The flavor of these take me right back to my Mom’s kitchen, and that is a very good thing.
Sadly, Endicott Johnson no longer exists. Click on the link for the Wikipedia story about the company, which was pretty unique in this country. They cared about their employees in a way that you just don’t see anymore. I even worked in one of the factories one summer.
These Italian Meatballs live on though, a fate that they richly deserve – I hope they’ll become a favorite of yours too.
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These meatballs are moist and flavorful! I want for dinner tonight!
Thanks Jocelyn – I hope you get the chance to make them 🙂
I’m a big fan of yours on Facebook and I’m so glad to see a recipe like this today. Meatballs rule!
Arlene, I have to kind of agree and welcome!
Thank you!
You’re welcome Mark, and I would be willing to bet that you have even had these before!
Both pork and beef mince – nice. I will have to try it. I too agree with adding plenty of breadcrumbs to my meatballs it helps to absorb more flavour.
Thanks Lizzie – I think the extra bread crumbs help them stay moist and improves the texture as well – hope that you get the chance to give them a try!
I wish I lived someplace with great Italian neighbours and restaurants! I don’t have either! I am a fairly good Italian cook too because I’ve improved on all the bad Italian restaurant dishes! These meatballs look wonderful, I’m not a big fan of meat sauce but I do like meat balls (it’s a texture thing!)
We don’t have as many as we used to either which is a shame – too many chains around for all of the Mom & Pop places to compete.
I once felt the same about meat sauces, but I have come to enjoy them more lately – in fact I am working on a Bolognese sauce to share here!
What a great story and how exciting to now have a recipe for a real Italian meat.a.ball! thanks for sharing because these look deeeelicious!
thanks MJ!
I love this story and I do remember Endicott Johnson. 🙂 I can’t wait to try these meatballs and I’m sure I’ll toast Lee for the recipe.
Oh yes – you are from someplace in Upstate if memory serves – and Lee would love a good toast I imagine!
Just walked in from The Chop with meatball fixings and look what I found in my mail! I remember those Endicott restaurants as well…my Dad’s favorite was Fuscos, which is gone now. I have a very similar story and recipe…my aunt worked at EJ and had some wonderful Polish and Italian recipes, but mine comes from Italian friends in Jamestown NY. The furniture factories there also drew immigrant workers, most prominently Italian and Swedish folks. I’m going to try your recipe tonite…although I think I’m out of eggs come to think of it!
Fusco’s was so good! I really do miss all those little hole in the wall spots, though we do still love Cortese. Hope the meatballs came out well for you!
AND…have you ever made meat logs? Our school friend Jeannie P.’s mom made them with a slic of mozzarella inside…Little Venice in Binghamton makes log shaped meatballs, too.
Oh yes – love those! I make a meatloaf version – will have to get that on here!
These sound similar to the meatballs I make…but I’m going to try your recipe as I just throw these ingredients together without exact measurements. I think a tried and true recipe will be even better!
Well Liz – you know how it is with a recipe like this – I had to make them a few times extra to get the measurements just right – cause I usually eyeball it too!
How funny to read your meatball recipe. It’s strange that I left Lee’s name on this recipe because I changed it a lot myself and you have changed it even more. By the way, Lee and her husband Dick were your brother’s Godparents. I love it when you share recipes from our family. Not that I don’t enjoy all your recipes. You are a wonderful cook and so generous to share with so many people Love you, Honey
Awwww – thanks Mom!
I was looking for the perfect meatball recipe for my dinner party and am so pleased to have found it – and from a fellow Binghamtonian no less! My great-grandmother came over from Sicily and worked at EJ. Thanks for sharing your story, I am happy to have shared your wonderful memories.
I just ran across your comment Laura – it is so cool that your Grandma worked at EJ!
Meatballs are the best! I love the combo of meat that you added in there. Thank you so much for this yummy one!
Glad that you liked it Ned. Each kind of meat adds it’s own unique touch!