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I don’t consider myself much of a cook.  I can make the basics and can almost follow a recipe if I try really hard.  My children and I love spaghetti and meatballs, but the store bought, frozen meatball varieties just weren’t doing it for me – so I began experimenting and now have several recipes for meatballs that I think are just out of this world.  I make them whenever we have friends over or are invited to a picnic or gathering- just throw them in marinara sauce in the crockpot and away we go!  Here is the recipe for my favorite meatballs (party size- you can reduce the recipe if it’s just for your family or make the full amount and freeze them for another day!)

Marvelous Meatballs

Ingredients Needed:

  • 3.5 pound package of ground beef
  • 4 tbsp minced garlic
  • 4 tbsp minced onion
  • 4 tbsp seasoned salt
  • 4 tbsp parsley flakes
  • 4 tbsp basil
  • 8 tbsp sugar
  • 1 8 oz container of grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup mayonaisse (light, fat free or regular)
  • 4 oz cheddar (fat free or regular)
  • 1 Sleeve of crackers (club, Ritz, goldfish, etc)
  • 2 Heals of bread
  • 1/4 cup of milk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Soak the bread heals in a small bowl with milk and move on to mixing the rest of the ingredients.

In a large bowl, break up the ground beef into smaller pieces and begin adding ingredients.  When it is time to add the crackers, break them up with your hands while still in the plastic sleeve and let the crumbs fall into the bowl.  With a spoon, mush the bread and milk up into smaller pieces and add to your meatball mixture.

Mix the ground beef and ingredients thoroughly, starting with a spoon and then using your hands to evenly distribute all of the seasonings and ingredients throughout the beef.  For some reason, it doesn’t work as well if you only mix with the spoon!

Roll the meatball mixture into 2 or 3 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet (cover it in foil for quick and easy clean up!)  Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until the insides of meatballs are cooked thoroughly.

Eat plain, with marinara sauce, served on rolls, or over spaghetti! This recipe will make at least 80 meatballs.

Alternatives:

Instead of crackers, bread heals and sugar in this recipe, you can replace those ingredients with half a box of Honey Bunches of Oats or Honey Nut Cheerios cereal!  Yes, I said cereal!  Use a food processor to grind the cereal up to about bread crumb size, and pour into your meatball mixture.  I realize this sounds strange, but I think you’ll find it makes the most incredible meatball you’ve ever tasted!

 



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