{"id":3569,"date":"2023-03-02T10:01:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T17:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/?p=3569"},"modified":"2023-04-12T15:02:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T21:02:30","slug":"yummy-easy-homemade-meatballs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/yummy-easy-homemade-meatballs\/","title":{"rendered":"Meatballs with Sausage and Ground Beef"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These meatballs with sausage and ground beef<\/strong> are easy to make and so tasty. A blend of Italian sausage and lean hamburger gives these tender meatballs incredible flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of frying, in this simple recipe the flavorful Italian meatballs are baked in the oven until golden brown. I like to simmer them in spaghetti sauce before serving, which makes both the sauce and the meatballs even more yummy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My favorite technique for preparing homemade Italian meatballs also happens to be incredibly simple! You’ll love making meatball sliders, pasta dishes and appetizers with these perfect meatballs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more easy dinner recipes, you might enjoy Cool Ranch Doritos Chicken<\/a> and Crock Pot Southwest Chicken Chili.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients and Substitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Here’s what you’ll need to make these oven cooked meat balls. (Scroll down to the recipe card for full directions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 tablespoon butter<\/strong> – You can use salted or unsalted butter, depending on what you have and your preference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/4 cup finely chopped onion<\/strong> – Yellow or white onions are fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 large or 2 small cloves fresh garlic<\/strong> – Add more or less, depending on your tastebuds! (The flavor of fresh is best, but if you’re in a hurry you can substitute 1\/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/2 pound bulk Italian sausage<\/strong> – You can use sweet or spicy Italian sausage. If you don’t have bulk sausage, you can buy link sausage and remove the casings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/2 pound ground beef<\/strong> – I like ground chuck for this recipe, but you can use regular ground beef, too. I usually get the 97% lean ground beef for less shrinkage. You can also substitute ground turkey for the beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 slice of bread<\/strong> – The bread acts like a binder with the egg and meat. Feel free to use your favorite bread for this easy meatball recipe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 large egg<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 teaspoon salt<\/strong> and 1\/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Tips for the Best Oven Cooked Meatballs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These are my three secrets for delicious meatballs that are browned on the outside and tender on the inside:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secret #1:<\/strong> Most meatball recipes call for raw onion to be added to the mixture, but I prefer to saute the onion in butter first along with a little minced garlic. This pre-cooking step allows the onion and garlic to “melt” into the mixture as the meatballs cook, resulting in a pleasing caramelized flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secret #2:<\/strong> I like to use a blend of half Italian sausage and half ground beef. The Italian sausage adds a little zing (and admittedly, a little extra fat) to the ground beef, taking the meatballs from sodden to spectacular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secret #3:<\/strong> For this easy recipe, instead of laboriously trying to evenly brown the meatballs on all sides and dealing with spattering fat in a frying pan, I simply shape them and bake them in a hot oven. After just 20 minutes, they’re miraculously browned and perfectly cooked inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step by Step Instructions with Photos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook 1\/4 cup chopped onion just until it turns translucent. Add 1 clove minced garlic and continue cooking for about 90 seconds, until the mixture barely begins to brown. Remove from heat and reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Place the slice of bread in a food processor and process into fine crumbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, combine a half pound each of ground Italian sausage and ground beef, the bread crumbs, an egg, a teaspoon of salt and 1\/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a large mixing bowl until well combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(No matter how hard you try, it’s hard to make a bowl of meatball mixture look photogenic.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a tablespoon to shape the meat mixture into golfball-sized meatballs. (You can also use a cookie scoop for shaping.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Place meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. You can see how the onion becomes caramelized after cooking. Yum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Storing and Reheating Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Leftover meatballs can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reheat, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven until heated through, about 8 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To freeze cooked meatballs, cool completely to room temperature before freezing. Arrange on a baking sheet and freeze. Remove frozen meatballs to a sealed airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To defrost frozen meatballs, place in the refrigerator and allow to thaw overnight before using. Follow reheating instructions above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Serve Baked Italian Meatballs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You can add the baked Italian meatballs to a spaghetti sauce like I did in the photo at the top of this post. Just add a few cups of your favorite sauce to a skillet, bring to a simmer, add the meatballs and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Serve over spaghetti or your favorite pasta. (These are amazing with our easy Burrata Pasta<\/a>!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, you can toast some buns, sprinkle with a little Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, and make meatball sandwiches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These meatballs are fantastic<\/em> in our appetizer recipe for Cranberry Sauce BBQ Meatballs in the Crock Pot<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meatballs are also great sliced and arranged on homemade pizza<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more ideas, check out our roundup with more than 30 recipes for what to serve meatballs with<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy this Italian sausage meatballs recipe, please click on the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below to leave a rating! It helps us so much, and we love reading your comments, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shall we make some beautiful meatballs together? Here’s the printable recipe card:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Meatballs with Sausage and Ground Beef<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\nEliza Cross<\/a><\/span>\n
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The tastiest Italian meatballs are made with a delicious mixture of sausage and ground beef, and oven baked until golden brown. You'll love these flavorful meatballs with spaghetti, in sandwiches, on pizza, and more! <\/span><\/div>\n
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