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Photo:Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
Active Time:20 minsTotal Time:35 minsServings:12Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:20 minsTotal Time:35 minsServings:12
Active Time:20 mins
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:35 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:12
Servings:
12
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipeItalian-Style Beef & Pork Meatballsis the last recipe you’ll ever need for Italian-style meatballs. Using a classic combination of lean ground beef and ground pork, these meatballs are hearty, moist and flavorful. The remaining ingredients, standard in meatballs, are essential: breadcrumbs for bulk and to absorb some of the fat, aromatics for that deep, home-cooked taste and eggs to bind it all together. These meatballs are a high protein, high flavor dinner that can stand alone or served with tomato sauce and pasta. Keep reading for our expert tips on how to shape them, ingredient substitutions and more!Tips from the EatingWell Test KitchenThese are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!We use equal parts of lean ground beef and ground pork for this recipe, which gives the meatballs the right balance of flavor and texture. Feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of ground pork, but make sure to bake the meatballs until ameat thermometerinserted in the center registers 165°F.It’s common to see lean ground beef labeled at 80/20 and 90/10, beef versus fat. For lean ground pork, you are looking for the word “loin” on the package and a fat of 5%.If you absolutely hate chopping onions because it makes your eyes sting and water, try chilling the onion in the fridge for a few minutes before cutting it. Another option is to slice the onion at the kitchen faucet under cold running water. A pair of onion goggles would work as well.If you’re out of Italian seasoning, make your own with ourItalian Seasoning Blendrecipe.Nutrition NotesLean ground beefis a classic meatball ingredient. Ground beef’s versatility and taste make it a staple protein in many households. Lean ground beef is high in dietary protein, which is essential for muscle growth and maintenance and to keep your hair, skin and nails healthy. It’s also important for immune support.Ground porkis often mixed with ground beef when making meatballs or meatloaf to add fat and flavor. Pork contains many B vitamins, but most notably, it is rich in the B vitamin, thiamin. Thiamin is critical for a healthy metabolism.Italian-style meatballs wouldn’t be the same withoutonions and garlic. Onions and garlic are both part of the allium family and contain nutrients such as vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. They are also rich in antioxidants, which are responsible for their pungent aromas.Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
Jump to recipe
Italian-Style Beef & Pork Meatballsis the last recipe you’ll ever need for Italian-style meatballs. Using a classic combination of lean ground beef and ground pork, these meatballs are hearty, moist and flavorful. The remaining ingredients, standard in meatballs, are essential: breadcrumbs for bulk and to absorb some of the fat, aromatics for that deep, home-cooked taste and eggs to bind it all together. These meatballs are a high protein, high flavor dinner that can stand alone or served with tomato sauce and pasta. Keep reading for our expert tips on how to shape them, ingredient substitutions and more!Tips from the EatingWell Test KitchenThese are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!We use equal parts of lean ground beef and ground pork for this recipe, which gives the meatballs the right balance of flavor and texture. Feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey instead of ground pork, but make sure to bake the meatballs until ameat thermometerinserted in the center registers 165°F.It’s common to see lean ground beef labeled at 80/20 and 90/10, beef versus fat. For lean ground pork, you are looking for the word “loin” on the package and a fat of 5%.If you absolutely hate chopping onions because it makes your eyes sting and water, try chilling the onion in the fridge for a few minutes before cutting it. Another option is to slice the onion at the kitchen faucet under cold running water. A pair of onion goggles would work as well.If you’re out of Italian seasoning, make your own with ourItalian Seasoning Blendrecipe.Nutrition NotesLean ground beefis a classic meatball ingredient. Ground beef’s versatility and taste make it a staple protein in many households. Lean ground beef is high in dietary protein, which is essential for muscle growth and maintenance and to keep your hair, skin and nails healthy. It’s also important for immune support.Ground porkis often mixed with ground beef when making meatballs or meatloaf to add fat and flavor. Pork contains many B vitamins, but most notably, it is rich in the B vitamin, thiamin. Thiamin is critical for a healthy metabolism.Italian-style meatballs wouldn’t be the same withoutonions and garlic. Onions and garlic are both part of the allium family and contain nutrients such as vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. They are also rich in antioxidants, which are responsible for their pungent aromas.Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
Italian-Style Beef & Pork Meatballsis the last recipe you’ll ever need for Italian-style meatballs. Using a classic combination of lean ground beef and ground pork, these meatballs are hearty, moist and flavorful. The remaining ingredients, standard in meatballs, are essential: breadcrumbs for bulk and to absorb some of the fat, aromatics for that deep, home-cooked taste and eggs to bind it all together. These meatballs are a high protein, high flavor dinner that can stand alone or served with tomato sauce and pasta. Keep reading for our expert tips on how to shape them, ingredient substitutions and more!
Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen
These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!
Nutrition Notes
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients3largeeggs, lightly beaten1cupfinely chopped onion¾cuppanko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat¾cupchopped fresh parsley½cupgrated Parmesan cheese3largecloves garlic, minced1tablespoonItalian seasoning1 ½teaspoonssalt1teaspoonground pepper1 ½poundslean ground beef1 ½poundsground pork
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
3largeeggs, lightly beaten
1cupfinely chopped onion
¾cuppanko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
¾cupchopped fresh parsley
½cupgrated Parmesan cheese
3largecloves garlic, minced
1tablespoonItalian seasoning
1 ½teaspoonssalt
1teaspoonground pepper
1 ½poundslean ground beef
1 ½poundsground pork
Directions
Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Combine 3 eggs, 1 cup onion, 3/4 cup panko, 3/4 cup parsley, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 pounds beef and 1 1/2 pounds pork. Mix gently with your hands until just combined (do not overmix). Using a generous 2 tablespoons each, shape into 48 meatballs. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the meatballs until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 15 minutes.
3 Easy Meatball Dinners
With our basic meatball recipe in hand, here are three delicious ways to enjoy them: in a gnocchi bake, stuffed shells or cheesy polenta.
Meatball Pesto & Gnocchi Bake
Cook 1 lb. gnocchi in 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large broiler-safe skillet over medium heat until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 18 meatballs and 1/3 cup each pesto, ricotta and water; stir until well-coated. Spread the mixture into an even layer and top with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 3 Tbsp. breadcrumbs. Broil on high until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. (Serves 6)
Meatball Stuffed Shells
Meatballs over Cheesy Polenta
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in 1 cup cornmeal and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is thickened and tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, 4 sliced scallions, 1 Tbsp. butter and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Serve 16 hot meatballs over the polenta. (Serves 4)
Equipment
2 large rimmed baking sheets
To make aheadPrepare the meatball mixture and shape it into balls up to 24 hours before cooking. Store the balls in the refrigerator.
To make ahead
Prepare the meatball mixture and shape it into balls up to 24 hours before cooking. Store the balls in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, freshly grated cheese can make a difference. It will melt better, and you can avoid some additives typically included in pre-grated cheeses that help prevent caking. Additionally, the cheese is likely to taste better.There are many ways to cook meatballs. You canpan-frythem,simmerthem in sauce, cook them in aslow cookeror bake them in the oven. We bake the meatballs on 2 large rimmed baking sheets in the oven, and line the rimmed baking sheets with foil to make cleanup quick and easy.Absolutely! After baking the meatballs, allow them to cool completely. Freeze cooked and cooled meatballs (not touching) in a single layer on a clean large rimmed baking sheet. Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. Freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes.You can store meatballs in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The method for reheating depends on how you’re using them. If the meatballs are on their own and without any sauce, the quickest way to reheat them is to microwave them. However, if they are in a sauce or soup, it’s best to reheat them in a pot on the stove, whereas if they’re tucked in pasta shells, it would make sense to heat them in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, freshly grated cheese can make a difference. It will melt better, and you can avoid some additives typically included in pre-grated cheeses that help prevent caking. Additionally, the cheese is likely to taste better.
There are many ways to cook meatballs. You canpan-frythem,simmerthem in sauce, cook them in aslow cookeror bake them in the oven. We bake the meatballs on 2 large rimmed baking sheets in the oven, and line the rimmed baking sheets with foil to make cleanup quick and easy.
Absolutely! After baking the meatballs, allow them to cool completely. Freeze cooked and cooled meatballs (not touching) in a single layer on a clean large rimmed baking sheet. Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. Freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes.
You can store meatballs in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The method for reheating depends on how you’re using them. If the meatballs are on their own and without any sauce, the quickest way to reheat them is to microwave them. However, if they are in a sauce or soup, it’s best to reheat them in a pot on the stove, whereas if they’re tucked in pasta shells, it would make sense to heat them in the oven.
EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2021
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)216Calories10gFat6gCarbs26gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
Jan Valdez
andLinda Frahm
Linda Frahm
