Mamma’s Italian Meatballs (aka the best meatballs ever):

My Great Grandmother was a full blooded Italian. I used to love her Sunday sauce with meatballs. She usually had a large pot of sauce full of different meats inside of it, bubbling away, on the stove. I was a picky kid, but I would eat her meatballs. I don't have her recipe, but I do have a good flavor memory and have adapted my own. I usually pop a couple meatballs out of the oven, into my mouth, because they're so worth the burn. They are literally craving worthy and one of my very favorite things to eat. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. 80/20 ground beef

1 lb. Sweet Italian Turkey sausage

1 cup Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

1/2 cup whole milk

2 eggs

1 cup Parmesan or Italian shredded cheese

1 oz tomato paste

2 T Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup loosely chopped fresh basil 

1 T fresh chopped Oregano

1 T fresh chopped Rosemary

1 T fresh chopped Thyme
1 T sea salt

*can replace fresh herbs with dried, just bring measurements down to 1-2 tsp instead. Dried herbs are always more potent. 

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped,

Olive oil for sprinkling pan and meatballs.

Directions:

-Pre-heat oven to 425°

-Prepare a baking sheet with either a non stick spray or olive oil the covers the bottom of pan completely. I like to spray bottom of pan with nonstick spray, then sprinkle olive oil over completed raw meatballs. 

-In a large glass bowl, mix together the two ground meats. Now I really get in there with my hands because I feel it helps the texture to meld better. 

-Cover meat with breadcrumbs, herbs, spices, cheese, and garlic...and squish together again with your hands. 

-Add in all the remaining wet ingredients and do a final mix. Meatball mixture should feel wet and pliable but not too sticky to where it won’t form a self-containing ball shape. 

-Cup a roll of meat in the center of your hand should be about 2 inches wide. I like them to not all look perfectly round. Roll as you wish. 

-Bake meatballs for about 30 minutes total. Make sure to flip them over at the 15 minute mark.

-I typically add the finished meatballs to a hot spaghetti sauce and let rest in the sauce for another 20 minutes or more to get in all the flavor. However, they can be enjoyed immediately over pasta, or just on their own! 

*One other random/optional thing I like to do when I'm feeling extra is to soak up a large slice of Italian bread (that I cut into tiny pieces) into the 1/2 cup of milk, before I add it in the raw mix. It's like a mushy mixture. It sounds gross, but makes the meatballs extra fluffy.