Best 6 Great Grandmas Italian Meatballs Recipes

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**Discover the Delights of Great Grandma's Italian Meatballs: A Culinary Journey Through Time**

Embark on a delightful culinary journey with our collection of Great Grandma's Italian Meatball recipes, passed down through generations and perfected over time. These meatballs are not just any ordinary dish; they are a testament to the love, care, and tradition that define Italian cooking. Each recipe holds a unique story, capturing the essence of family gatherings, Sunday dinners, and the warmth of a welcoming kitchen. From classic beef and pork meatballs simmering in a rich tomato sauce to innovative variations featuring lamb, turkey, or vegetarian ingredients, our recipes cater to diverse tastes and dietary preferences. Whether you prefer baked, pan-fried, or slow-cooked meatballs, we have something for every occasion and skill level. Get ready to indulge in the timeless flavors of Italy and create unforgettable memories with these cherished recipes.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALL RECIPE



Grandma's Italian Meatball Recipe image

Grandma's tender and juicy meatball recipe simmered in a delicious tomato sauce and served with spaghetti noodles, classic Italian food.

Provided by Jessica Gavin

Categories     Entree

Time 2h30m

Number Of Ingredients 17

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup yellow onions (minced)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 ounces tomato paste
7 cups crushed canned tomatoes (Cento or San Marzano)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground beef (80% to 90% lean meat)
2 large eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs (plain or Italian-style)
½ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus more for garnish)
½ cup yellow onion (finely minced)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings (omit if using Italian-style breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup sliced basil (for garnish)

Steps:

  • In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic, sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered, with lid slightly ajar to prevent splattering for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Set the oven rack to the lower-middle position and set it to broil. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with olive oil. Set aside.In a large bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, minced onion, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Use hands to mix thoroughly until combined.
  • Measure and roll the ground beef mixture into ⅓ cup (3 ounces) rounds, about the size of an egg. Evenly space the pieces on the baking sheet, there should be about 14 to 15 meatballs.
  • Broil the meatballs until the surface is browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the other side.
  • Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, simmer on low heat for at least 1 ½ hours, checking and stirring every 20 minutes, or as needed. The meatballs should be fork tender when sliced.
  • At the end of cooking, adjust the consistency of the sauce with water if needed, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve meatballs with spaghetti topped with sauce, sliced basil, and Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 216 kcal, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 11 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Cholesterol 44 mg, Sodium 810 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g, UnsaturatedFat 5 g, ServingSize 1 serving

GRANDMA MARONIS MEATBALLS 100 YEAR OLD RECIPE



Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 50m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 pound ground chuck
4 ounces dried bread crumbs
4 large eggs
4 ounces whole milk
6 ounces grated Romano
3 ounces grated Spanish onion
2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
  • Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.
  • Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Grandma's Italian Meatballs image

Grandma's Italian meatballs are my favorite traditional Italian meatballs in tomato sauce. They're baked in the oven and then simmered in sauce and ready to top your spaghetti or serve with crusty bread. Easy and make-ahead friendly.

Provided by Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Categories     Beef

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound (450 grams) 90% lean ground beef
1 pound (450 grams) ground pork
1/2 cup (40 grams) grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (112 grams) seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil for brushing
25 ounces (710 grams) tomato sauce, jarred or homemade

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F with two racks close to the center. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
  • Place the beef and pork into a large mixing bowl.
  • Using a fork or your hands, gently but thoroughly break up the meat and stir to combine. The key with mixing is to avoid compressing the meat and think instead of lifting as much as possible.
  • Add the grated cheese, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, garlic, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg.
  • Use a fork or your hands to mix gently but thoroughly until the mixture is homogenous but still light.
  • Use a 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop to divide the mixture into 22 meatballs. Place half on each of the baking sheets, with plenty of room in between for the air to circulate in the oven.
  • Use your hands to finish shaping the scoops into balls, again without compressing too much.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, swapping the position of the trays halfway through cooking.
  • In a large frying pan, heat the tomato sauce until it simmer. Add the meatballs and simmer for a minute or two to meld the flavors. Meatballs are ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 475 calories, Carbohydrate 14 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 159 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 29 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 37 grams protein, SaturatedFat 11 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 1011 milligrams sodium, Sugar 3 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams unsaturated fat

GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Grandma's Italian Meatballs image

My Grandma gave me this Italian meatball recipe years ago.. I keep them stocked up in the freezer and anytime I am in need of them..there they are... Delicious!

Provided by Cassie *

Categories     Pasta Sides

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 lb pork sausage
1 lb ground beef
2/3 c italian bread crumbs
1/2 c parmigiano-reggiano, grated
2 eggs
1/3 c fresh parsley
1/3 c finely minced onions
3 clove minced garlic
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
enough milk to moisten bread crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Steps:

  • 1. In large bowl, combine the meats,cheese, bread crumbs soaked in milk,onion, eggs, garlic, parsley.salt ,pepper,italian seasoning, and worchestershire sauce
  • 2. Mix thoroughly, but don't over mix, will make the meatballs tough. The trick to moist meatballs is softening bread crumbs in the milk
  • 3. Form into 2 inch balls..brown in skillet with small amount of oil, on med heat, or bake in the oven for 20 min at 375. I do the oven method,Grandma always browned hers in olive oil and a little vegetable oil combined.
  • 4. Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce, ENJOY! I make the balls bigger if using for meatballs subs. I slice them in half,flat side down on hoagie roll, add sauce, cheese, broil for about 10 min... I also smash them up and add them to my sauce for lasagna..

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Chef John's Italian Meatballs image

Homemade meatballs are a very easy to make, and since we skip the very messy step of pan-frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes downright simple. Here I use a standard half-beef/half-pork mixture. You can substitute water or beef broth for the milk, if preferred.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 2h15m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 14

⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  • Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl for 20 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions in hot oil until translucent, about 20 minutes.
  • Mix beef and pork together in a large bowl. Stir onions, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and Parmesan cheese into meat mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.
  • Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  • Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 81.9 calories, Carbohydrate 1.7 g, Cholesterol 32.3 mg, Fat 5.5 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 6.2 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 192.1 mg, Sugar 0.5 g

GRANDMA'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS



Grandma's Italian Meatballs image

This recipe is from my Italian grandmother. The one change she made to get with the times was to use Ragu sauce instead of homemade, and she declared that it still tasted just as good. It's never failed to impress the people I make it for. My husband says these meatballs have forever ruined him to other people's, or even restaurant meatballs. The real secret is in the time you take to slowly cook the meatballs in the sauce. Don't skimp and just toss the sauce on and eat it. It will still taste good, but not anything like it should be. The raisins are meant to absorb the acidity and impart a little sweetness to the sauce. This recipe can easily be multiplied to feed more people.

Provided by Buckdawna

Categories     Meat

Time 4h15m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 lb ground beef
1 large garlic clove, minced (or 2 small cloves)
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 (26 ounce) jar Ragu tomato sauce, Old World Style Mushroom
5 raisins

Steps:

  • Mix ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, basil, parmesan cheese, and parsley until combined. Do not overwork meatball mixture.
  • Make golfball size meatballs with meatball mixture.
  • Brown meatballs in a frying pan over medium heat, or bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Combine browned meatballs in a pot with sauce and raisins.
  • Cook covered, simmering gently over low heat, for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours, stirring gently occasionaly.
  • If sauce becomes too thick over the course of cooking, a small amount of water can be added to thin it.
  • Serve over spaghetti, on rolls, or however your heart desires.

Tips:

  • Use a combination of ground beef and pork. This will give the meatballs a more flavorful and juicy texture.
  • Use fresh bread crumbs. This will help to bind the meatballs together and keep them moist.
  • Add an egg to the meatball mixture. This will also help to bind the meatballs together and make them more tender.
  • Season the meatballs generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. This will help to enhance the flavor of the meatballs.
  • Brown the meatballs in a skillet before simmering them in sauce. This will help to develop their flavor and give them a nice crust.
  • Use a good quality tomato sauce. This will make a big difference in the flavor of the meatballs.
  • Serve the meatballs over spaghetti, rice, or your favorite pasta. You can also serve them as an appetizer or main course.

Conclusion:

Great Grandma's Italian Meatballs are a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be tailored to your own personal preferences. Whether you like them spicy or mild, with or without cheese, these meatballs are sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a comforting and flavorful meal, give Great Grandma's Italian Meatballs a try. You won't be disappointed!

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