Meet my favorite meatballs. They’re cooked right in a pot of crushed tomato sauce and finished with a layer of bubbling cheese on top. I’ve only made them with beef but they’re adaptable to other ground meats like pork or turkey. Make sure to boil a pot of pasta and/or bake some garlic bread alongside to soak up all that marinara. Or on these french bread rolls they’d make perfect sliders!

Everyday Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground meat (I used beef, you could also use pork or turkey or a mixture)
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs or 1/2 cup panko 
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
Pinches of red pepper flakes or a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 28-oz. can of tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

optional for serving:
cheese (I’ve used smoked provolone + Parmesan, another time mozzarella + Romano)
pasta
crusty bread or rolls
fresh chopped basil or parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Place meat, crumbs, milk, parsley, cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs and half of your minced garlic in a large bowl. I like to mix all of this together with a fork, which does a good job of breaking up the eggs and chunks of meat. Form mixture into 1 1/2 to 2-inch meatballs and arrange on a plate. I like to let them set in the fridge for a bit — 30 minutes, if you can spare it — which helps them keep their shape.
2. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and some pepper flakes and let sizzle until garlic is golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes (beware the splatter!) and season with remaining salt. Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes (with a thicker puree) or 20 (for crushed tomatoes, which are usually more watery), stirring occasionally.
3. With stove on the lowest heat possible to maintain a gentle simmer, add meatballs to sauce one by one, and cover with a lid. It will be hard but please don’t touch or move them for at least 20 minutes of the 25-minute cooking time, so that they have a chance to keep their shape. Meatballs should be fully cooked through at 25 minutes, but it cannot hurt to cut one in half to verify.
4. Eat however makes you happy:
   — as-is.
   — with pasta.
   — “parmesan”-ed: Make sure meatballs are in an oven-safe baking dish. Tear about 8 ounces mozzarella (or provolone) over the top and broil until melted. Finish with some parmesan (or Romano), if desired. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil or parsley.
   — with garlic bread/rolls, etc.

Serves ~4. 

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)