Meatballs used to be one of those foods that I was too intimidated to make. They seemed better suited to Italian grandmas who stooped over big pots in the kitchen all day. Until I listened to a radio program I get absolutely giddy about (The Splendid Table on NPR). It was a while ago, but one thing I took away was that you can add anything to meatballs and as long as you pack in a lot of flavor and keep the balls small, it only takes about 25 minutes to bake them. I threw some yummy stuff together, and they turned out great! I have been making these for a couple of years now, and they never fail to please all of the boys (a difficult task these days)!
And speaking of, Oliver has become so incredibly picky at the table, I have all but thrown my hands up in defeat. In a perfect world, he would try everything on his plate and be conscious of his vegetable consumption. But after what seems like months of his veggie-strike, I have resorted to hiding veggies in his most beloved food. Meatballs included. Here is my sneaky recipe:
30-Minute Meatballs
- 1 lb 90% grass-fed ground beef (do it, people, for the environment and your health!)
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and ground to bread crumbs in a food processor
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large leaf of kale, minced finely
- 3 shakes of worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup raw gruyere (grass-fed raw milk cheese is the best way for your body to absorb calcium, and has many other health benefits as well)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- sea salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, being careful not to overwork the meat. Roll into walnut-sized balls (or smaller) and place on a lightly-oiled pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Once baked, you can add to your favorite sauce on the stove and simmer for however long you like before serving. However, you can eat these plain or add sauce later. They are that good! Our favorite way is to serve with tomato sauce over spaghetti or bow tie noodles (Oliver’s favorite!).
Enjoy!
Kale in meatballs? WANT. I’m not sure that I’ve ever made meatballs.. I should change that, especially before it warms up too much. Thanks for the idea!
Jackson’s all-time favorite meal (after mac&cheese)….the kid would eat this everyday if he could!
No meatballs for me, but I like the addition of kale (and I do make a mean veggie meatball :))
I don’t eat meat, but my son and husband both love meatballs! I’ve had luck feeding my kids vegetables in general, but I do hide broccoli from my husband in fried rice. I’m tricky that way. I will definitely be trying this out on my meat eaters. Thanks for sharing!
I love the Splendid Table too although it’s been a while since I’ve caught it on the radio. I love being inspired to cook! (It’s rare that I am nowadays) 🙂
xo
cortnie
I would love to know where the place is that you ate breakfast! It looks like a neat spot and I am visiting St. Louis at the end of the month. I would love to check it out while I am there!
Whoops I put this on the wrong post! I’m referring to the post about the weekend and the walk through the snow to breakfast!
Allison– it is called Winslow’s Home and I highly recommend it! I will email you more info.
Not even kidding you, I said out loud like 15 minutes ago, “MAN! I want meatballs.” To myself. In an empty house.
And then I saw this post, and it was like the heavens parted and rained down glorious meatballs.
Sounds great, thanks!
That sounds yummy! Growing up in an Italian household, I was always mortified when my mother would serve frozen meatballs in Ragu.
I love making my own meatballs. What I like doing, and would totally recommend (allergies and preferences depending) is adding diced green pepper, onion, and tomato to the ground beef mix before making them into meatballs and then cooking the meatballs in the sauce. I know you brand these as 30 minute meatballs, but they’re great if you put them in a slow cooker to cook for a few hours (long enough for the veggies to get soft) and the flavor the sauce.