Chicago Meatballs Recipes

CHICAGO MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix meatball ingredients together.
• Roll meatballs.
• Place in a 9x13 dish when done.
• Mix sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs.
• Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 1-1/2 hours.

FRIED MEATBALL SANDWICHES WITH GIARDINIERA

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to broil.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Romano, parsley, garlic, and some salt and pepper until it is all incorporated.
• Add in the ground meats and breadcrumbs and, using your God-given hands, get after it and mix away. Do not overwork the meat or it will turn "meat-loafy." You want it loose and supple.
• Using your hands again, make 4 loose patties to match the size of your bread. (The mixture will form at least 10 patties, depending on how big your buns are. But I like to make some patties for sandwiches and then roll the rest to make meatballs, which I then freeze so I have meatballs at the ready.)
• Heat some oil in a large cast-iron pan (or use a griddle pan) over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
• For the sandwich build: Place the buns split-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Add 1 slice of provolone to each side of the buns and broil in the oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes, but keep watch!
• Add the patties to the bottom buns, spoon over some marinara, top with some red pepper strips and pile on some giardiniera. Then close the sandwiches and eat the hell out of them.
• Serve with more marinara sauce on the side.

EASY MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix eggs, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl. Add beef and panko bread crumbs and mix thoroughly.
• Shape mixture into about forty 1 1/2-inch balls, a little smaller than golf balls, using a teaspoon. Place on ungreased, rimmed baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the centers, turning halfway through cooking time, 10 to 15 minutes total.

CLASSIC BEEF MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
• Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
• Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
• Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
• While the meatballs are roasting, heat the tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often.
• When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, remove them from the oven and drain the excess grease from the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over them. Return the meatballs to the oven and continue roasting for another 15 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

CLASSIC MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil; spray with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix all ingredients. Shape mixture into 24 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Place 1 inch apart in pan.
• Bake uncovered 18 to 22 minutes or until temperature reaches 160°F and no longer pink in center.

BEST SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions; saute until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste; cook 3-5 minutes. Add next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 50 minutes., Combine the first 7 meatball ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls., In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add meatballs; brown in batches until no longer pink. Drain. Add to sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until flavors are blended, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti.