Cheesy Basil Meatballs~ground beef recipe

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Cheesy Basil Meatballs

A Favorite Barrier Family Ground Beef recipe.

Prep time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 20-25 mins.

Total time: 35-40 mins

Farm life is busy guys, and we don’t always have time for fancy 5 course dinners that take 4 hours to prepare! Scratch that, we NEVER have that kind of time! But just because we might not have all afternoon to cook does not mean that we have to go without good food. On the contrary, after a day of working outside in the freezing cold or crazy heat there is few things better than a plate of good food. Ground beef is a staple in our house, its easy, fast to cook, and is packed with flavor. Its also the largest portion of meat you will get back from a cow which means we have a lot of it. Our family LOVES meatballs and red sauce! When I was little, we had some Italian friends that lived down the street from us and we would often go to each others houses for dinner once a month. One of our favorite meals to have over there was her homemade meatballs and sauce, and she eventually shared her recipe with my Mom. Over the years its be given to other siblings and friends, but my sister and I have adapted and changed the recipe to suit our tastes better. Trust me you will never want to go back to those pre-made frozen meatballs after you try these! They are super tender and can be eaten immediately after making them for a faster dinner, though they are even better after simmering in pasta sauce for several hours. The Parmesan and basil combo is straight up bomb I promise you! I prefer these with a simple, fresh marinara sauce but they are also great with alfredo and vodka sauce! This recipe is for a regular Italian style meatball but you can easily adapt the flavoring of them by adding different spices and just using the core ingredients as a base. This recipe can also be easily doubled if you need to make a larger batch, as well as if you want to freeze half for a future quick meal! Personally I like to bake my meatballs, its just a little bit healthier as well as it cooks the meatballs more evenly as well as making sure they don’t get a harder exterior that frying can sometimes lead to. Add in some yummy bread sticks and a salad and who says this isn’t gourmet?

Lets get cooking! You will need:

1 lb. Ground beef

1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1/2 C Italian bread crumbs

1 Egg

1 TBS Basil

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp Oregano

Dash of salt and black pepper






Pre-heat oven to 350' degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Make sure to use free range eggs to get that rich orange yolk because nothing is prettier than that!

Roll into balls of the desired size, I like to make mine about an inch and half in diameter. Place in a non greased 8x8 glass pan or a cast iron frying pan. Bake for 20-25 mins depending on what size you made.

Prepare your sauce while the meatballs are baking, I love using our homemade canned pasta sauce from our garden for that extra fresh tangy taste! With the added benefit of knowing most of our meal came right from the farm. Keeping the taste of a summer garden alive all year around.

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Once the meatballs are done, let them simmer for as long as desired in your sauce. They taste best when they have simmered in the sauce for about 4 hours either on the stove or the crockpot! You can also add in diced peppers, onions, and mushrooms to the meatballs for added flavor. Serve with Penne pasta and top off with the cheese of yours choice! Make sure to share with some loved ones and have fun cooking!

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Tia BarrierComment