This is a recipe that has been with my family for as long as I can remember. My grandmother always made these with ground beef, my mother and I have started using ground turkey. If you want to use the traditional Italian mixture ( mixture of ground beef, pork and veal) you can. If I’m making this for company, I use beef, but If I’m making them during the week for my family I try to make a leaner version with ground turkey. These make great meatball subs and they are wonderful with pasta. They also make the house smell like my Grandma Rose’s house, and that was the best smell ever.
-1 lb ground meat ( beef for full fat version, turkey and ground turkey sausage for lighter version)
-1 yellow onion ( minced or grated) (I grate when I’m feeding someone that doesn’t like the texture of onions)
- 1 garlic clove ( minced) or 1 tsp garlic powder- I prefer the fresh, but use what you have
- Oregano (1 tablespoon)
- Parsley (1 tablespoon)
- 1 egg ( per one point of meat)
- Parmesan cheese ( grated ½ cup)
- Italian breadcrumbs ( Or broken up stale bread) (1 cup)
- Olive oil (for cooking)
Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. ( I use my hands, it works the best)
Once mixed, roll the meat into small balls ( about the size of a large golf ball for small meatballs, double the for large meatballs)
Drizzle olive oil in a non stick skillet and add approximately 5 meatballs to the pan each batch without overcrowding the pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides before removing and placing on a plate lined with paper towels. (If you make sauce, you can place the meatballs directly in the sauce)
Serve on crusty bread with sauce, provolone cheese and parmesan cheese for a great meatball sub, or over pasta with sauce.
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