Indulge in a delightful culinary journey with Aunt Nina's Bread Balls and Sauce, a timeless Italian tradition passed down through generations. These soft, fluffy bread balls, expertly crafted with a blend of simple ingredients, are a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. Dipped in a rich, savory tomato sauce infused with herbs and spices, these bread balls transform into delectable morsels that are perfect for any occasion. This comprehensive article presents not only the classic Bread Balls and Sauce recipe but also two exciting variations: a flavorful Pesto Bread Balls recipe for a burst of fresh basil and pine nuts, and a tantalizing Cheesy Bread Balls recipe that oozes with melted mozzarella. With step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, this article will guide you through the process of creating these culinary gems, ensuring a successful and enjoyable cooking experience.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
AUNT NINA'S BREAD BALLS AND SAUCE
this recipe is for meatless meatballs, which are prepared in much the same way as meatballs, just with different ingredients. Bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, and herbs are combined and rolled into balls, which are then browned and simmered in a tomato sauce. This idea can be traced, not surprisingly, to Italy, were similar recipes...
Provided by Lynnda Cloutier
Categories Savory Breads
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- 1. for the bread balls: whisk the water, egg, garlic, parsley, basil, and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the bread and cheese and mix with your hands until well combined. With wet hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch bread balls. You should have about 30 bread balls.
- 2. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the bread balls and cook until well browned on the first side, two to four minutes. Do not move the bread balls until they are well browned on the first side. Continue to cook until they are well browned on all sides, about five minutes longer, turning as needed. Transfer the bread balls to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot and return it to medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Repeat with remaining bread balls.
- 3. For the sauce: pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the pot and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until the tomato paste begins to Brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the water, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for one hour.
- 4. Return the bread balls to the pot, cover and continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened slightly and the bread balls are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, sprinkling each portion with Parmesan and basil.
GRANDMA DOT'S STUFFING BALLS
This is my must-have recipe for Thanksgiving, passed down to me by my grandmother. These delicious stuffing balls are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. She always used white bread for this recipe, but I like to use a nutty whole wheat bread for a little extra flavor.
Provided by carabakescupcakes
Categories Side Dish Stuffing and Dressing Recipes Bread Stuffing and Dressing Recipes
Time 56m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; grease with cooking spray.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk eggs and chicken broth together in a large bowl. Fold in bread cubes and parsley. Pour in onion mixture; mix together until combined.
- Shape mixture into 2-inch balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 108.4 calories, Carbohydrate 8.8 g, Cholesterol 30.8 mg, Fat 6.9 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 3.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.9 g, Sodium 288.5 mg, Sugar 1.3 g
AUNT ANNIE'S CHEESE BALL
I'm asked to bring this to every family function. This is my great aunt's recipe and when she could no longer make it, I took over. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. You can use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese for this, but it will not get hard and form a ball. If you make it with low-fat ingredients, place the mixture in a bowl or decorative crock and top with crushed pecans. Cook time does not include chill time.
Provided by MsSally
Categories Spreads
Time 16m
Yield 20 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients except 1 1/2 c chopped pecans with mixer till throughly combined.
- Form into two medium balls or one large ball. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate till hardened (about 1 hour or so).
- Remove from fridge and undo wrap and roll in remaining crushed pecans.
- Enjoy with assorted cracker, we like Triscuits and Club crackers best.
CHEESY BREAD BALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE
It's hard not to love this combination of tomato sauce, melted cheese, bread balls and garlic oil, which is sort of like a pizza, deconstructed. If you prefer not to stuff the bread balls, you can skip that part and simply roll them until round, baking them in the same way. The extra cheese can then be added to the sauce around the bread balls just before broiling. This dough method isn't complicated, but you could work with store-bought pizza dough to save on time.
Provided by Yotam Ottolenghi
Categories snack, appetizer
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Prepare the bread balls: Add the flour, lukewarm water, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, the yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, knead on medium-high speed for 7 minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl to distribute the ingredients as needed, until soft and elastic. Transfer to a medium, lightly oiled bowl, and brush the top of the dough with a little oil. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until soft and pillowy.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Add the 1/3 cup/80 milliliters oil and garlic to a medium ovenproof skillet and heat over medium-low, gently frying for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft and fragrant. (You don't want the garlic to brown, so turn the heat down if necessary.) Transfer 3 tablespoons of the garlic-oil mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the tomatoes with their juices, oregano, basil, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add 2/3 cup/160 milliliters water, turn the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until thickened slightly. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into 20 cubes.
- Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut it into 8 equal pieces.
- Use your hands to flatten each piece into a 2 1/2-inch/6 centimeter-wide round, then place a piece of mozzarella into the center. Fold the dough up and around, pinching the dough tightly to enclose the cheese. Turn the dough ball over, pinched side down, and use the palm of your hand to roll the dough against your work surface to make a smooth, neat ball.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (baking tray), and form the remaining dough balls, spacing them evenly apart as you place them on the baking sheet. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to proof in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Brush the top of the dough balls with a little olive oil to coat, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside and heat the broiler (turn the oven grill setting to medium-high).
- Return the sauce to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the baked bread balls to the sauce, and arrange the remaining cheese cubes around them. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and broil (grill) for 2 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bread balls are nicely browned.
- Spoon the reserved garlic oil over the bread balls and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the extra oregano and basil, and serve right away.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the bread balls and sauce will be. Use fresh herbs, good-quality olive oil, and flavorful tomatoes.
- Don't overwork the dough: Overworking the dough will make the bread balls tough. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined, then stop.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place: This will help the dough to rise properly and produce light and fluffy bread balls.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when frying the bread balls: This will prevent them from cooking evenly.
- Make sure the sauce is simmering before adding the bread balls: This will help to prevent the sauce from splattering.
- Serve the bread balls and sauce immediately: This is when they are at their best.
Conclusion:
Aunt Nina's bread balls and sauce is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. With its simple ingredients and flavorful sauce, this dish is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give Aunt Nina's bread balls and sauce a try. You won't be disappointed!
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