Fantasy Football Meatballs Recipes

EXCELLENT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
• Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
• Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• Yield: 2 quarts

MEATBALL-STUFFED FOOTBALL BREAD

Steps:

• Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk together the garlic, milk, parsley, Parmesan, crushed red pepper, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the beef and use your hands to mix everything together until well combined.
• Drop heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture onto the prepared baking sheets (you should have about 40 mounds). Use slightly damp hands to roll the mounds into balls. Bake until just browned and almost cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Bring the marinara to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Discard the parchment from the baking sheets and wipe one baking sheet clean. Coat the back of the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Using your hands, spread one package of dough into a 15-by-12-inch rectangle on the baking sheet (it should be about the size of the baking sheet). Draw the outline of a football shape in the dough, about 1- inches-wide and 15-inches-long. Spoon half of the meatballs, tapping off any excess sauce, inside of the football outline on top of the dough. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
• On a lightly greased surface, spread the remaining package of dough into a rectangle big enough to cover the meatballs. Place the dough on top of the meatballs and press the dough together around the meatballs. Cut out the football shape leaving a 1-inch border around the edges, reserve the scraps. Tuck and tightly secure the edges underneath the dough to prevent any cheese from leaking out.
• Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the top of the football with the egg wash. Pour the sesame seeds onto a plate.
• Using the scraps, roll out two 12-inch-long ropes to make the lines for the football. Gently roll the strips in the sesame seeds to coat. Press the ropes on the sides of the football, widthwise, so they are about 9-inches apart. Roll out one 9-inch-long rope and then roll in the sesame seeds. Place the rope lengthwise in between the two widthwise ropes. Roll out three 3-inch-long ropes then roll them in the sesame seeds. Place the ropes equidistance apart on top of the 9-inch rope.
• Mix the butter with the garlic salt and brush the entire football. Bake until the dough is a deep golden brown and completely cooked through, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

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.