Festive holiday meatballs
If you’re bored of the same ham and turkey for the holidays, these festive holiday meatballs are the answer! They’re easy to make, super soft in texture, and have the perfect sauce poured over the top. Get ready for a new holiday favorite!
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
– 1 lb ground beef
– 1 lb ground veal
– 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
– 2 large eggs, beaten
– 1 cup ricotta cheese
– 1/2 medium onion, grated
– 3 cloves garlic minced
– 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
– 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
– 1 tsp black pepper
– 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
– 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 medium onion, grated
– 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
– 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 6 leaves fresh basil
– 2 15-oz cans crushed tomatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
For the meatballs:
– Preheat the oven to 425℉.
– In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground veal, dried breadcrumbs, eggs, ricotta cheese, grated onion, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Mix the ingredients well to ensure all of the meat and ingredients are well combined with no pockets of non-incorporated ingredients.
– Portion into 8 large meatballs and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil.
– Place the meatballs in the preheated 425℉ oven and roast until they are beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375℉ and bake until the internal temperature reaches 145℉, 18-24 minutes. While they are roasting and baking, prepare the sauce.
– Once the sauce is prepared and the meatballs are roasted, add the meatballs to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the meatballs and return them to the oven to finish roasting until the internal temperature reaches 160℉, 10-12 minutes. Once finished, remove the basil leaves, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.
For the sauce:
– In a large oven-safe skillet or braiser, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the garlic is beginning to brown, 4-6 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low as needed to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
– Add the red pepper flakes, black pepper, kosher salt, tomatoes, and basil. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
