60 minutes (unattended)

15 minutes

4 servings of 3 large meatballs (easy to make a 1/2 size recipe)

• medium or large mixing bowl
• 10-12” oven-safe deep everyday pan with lid
• Aluminum foil to place under the pan or a large baking sheet. This dish will splatter a bit once you remove the lid to reduce the sauce.
• Metal or silicone spoon to stir the sauce (tomatoes stain wooden spoons)

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground meat- lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, pork  (I haven’t tried with plant-based meat subs, but it should work fine with options such as Impossible and Beyond)
• (2 whole eggs (or equivalent egg-substitute for vegan)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (do not substitute cracker crumbs- too salty)  
• ½ cup milk (whole fat if you have it)
• 2 Tablespoons of Beggs Bold Blends Greek Seasoning 
• 1 tsp salt (Beggs Bold Blends Greek Seasoning is low-sodium. These meatballs benefit from a bit of salt)

 OPTIONAL:  Crumbled Feta cheese to sprinkle on top either before cooking or at serving time

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium or large onion, sliced or diced
• 1-2 Tablespoons diced or chopped or minced garlic (I always use 2 T)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 T Beggs Bold Blends Greek Seasoning1
• 2 or 3  15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with all their juice (this depends upon how much sauce you want
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon OR 1 whole cinnamon stick  

 

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in your mixing bowl
3. Using your hands, squeeze all the ingredients together until everything is thoroughly combined. A spoon will not do this job well. Get your hands in there.
4. Make one huge ball of meat and let the meatball mixture sit in the bowl while you start the sauce.
5. Place pan on medium/low temperature burner
6. Pour the olive oil into your pan.
7. Add the onions and the garlic and stir them around for about a minute. Nothing should be sizzling here. We’re just blooming our flavors in the oil.
8. Stir in the tomato paste and combine it with the oil, onion, and garlic. The paste should sort of “melt” and become a tad less thick. Give it a minute or two.
9. Add the entire contents of your diced tomatoes. You need at least 2 cans, but if you really like a saucy dish, add 3 cans.  
10. Add the cinnamon and 1 T Greek Seasoning and stir the sauce to get a thorough mix of all the ingredients.
11. We’re still on medium/low heat. We’re not doing much more than heating our sauce, so if it’s bubbling, turn the heat down.
12. Using your hands, make golf ball size meatballs and gently place each meatball in the sauce. (I get 12 from a pound of meat. You can make smaller balls, if you wish, without affecting your results.)
13. Place the skillet in the oven with a lid or lightly covered with foil.
14. Cook 30 minutes, then remove lid or foil and continue cooking another 30 minutes or until the meatballs are beginning to brown, which will be about another 30 minutes. The last 30 minutes is when the liquid in the sauce evaporates and really caramelizes and intensifies the flavor.

 

(If you really can’t wait for that second 30 minutes and you are willing to settle for delicious instead of spectacular, use your thermometer to probe a meatball.  If it’s at least 165F, it’s safe to eat.) Your impatience will cost you some flavor, and that’s a shame.