Best 8 Italian Cocktail Meatballs Recipes

COCKTAIL MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up and place an ovenproof baking/cooling rack over top; spray rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the egg and cream together in a medium bowl. Stir in the bread and mash until no large bread chunks remain. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the pork, garlic, allspice, pepper, salt, and baking powder on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Add the bread mixture to the mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as necessary.
• Using moistened hands (it's sticky and wet hands help; keep wetting them as you go), form the meat mixture into tablespoon-size round meatballs and place on the prepared rack. Bake for about 20 minutes, until just done.
• Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat evenly. Transfer them to a serving platter, spear with toothpicks and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve warm.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meatballs and sauce can be frozen in separate containers for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in their sauce on the stovetop over medium heat until hot in the center.

CHEF JOHN'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

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.

GRAPE JELLY MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine grape jelly, chili sauce, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place meatballs in a slow cooker and top with grape jelly mixture.
• Cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours.

ITALIAN APPETIZER MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Crumble beef and sausage over mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-in. balls. , Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake until no longer pink, 15-20 minutes., Transfer meatballs to a 4-qt. slow cooker; add spaghetti sauce. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

ITALIAN COCKTAIL MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Thoroughly mix all the meatball ingredients, except olive oil. Roll into ½" balls and fry in oil until well browned. Drain, set aside until sauce is ready.
• Combine all ingredients, except cheese in the skillet meatballs were cooked in (if there is a lot of fat, remove most of it - leaving any browned bits in the skillet). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour over very low heat. Add meatballs and simmer another hour, stirring several times very gently. Pour into chafing dish, crockpot or other serving dish and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
• These freeze well - just be careful when defrosting and breaking them up. Be gentle - so not to break up the meatballs.
• Note: I have indicated this makes about 36 meatballs -- but that's just a complete guess off the top of my head! I couldn't post the recipe without putting something in that field!

ROASTED ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly.
• Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (I use a rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
• Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through.
• To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of creamy Parmesan polenta on one side of each dinner plate. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of tomato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.
• Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

COCKTAIL MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
• In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Place 6 slices dried bread in a bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside until bread softens, about 5 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine meat, parsley, garlic, egg, cheese and salt and pepper to taste, using your hands to mix the ingredients. Remove and discard crust from each slice of soaked bread. Squeeze water out of bread and, breaking it into small pieces, add it to meat. Work bread into meat until they are equally combined and mixture holds together like a soft dough. Moisten remaining slices of dried bread and add as needed.
• Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium- to medium-low heat. Scoop out a tablespoon of meat mixture. Roll between the palms of your hands to form a ball about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Cook meatball until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. (A meatball that sticks to the pan is not ready to be turned.) Taste the meatball, and if needed, adjust seasoning of remaining mixture by adding more garlic, parsley, cheese and salt and pepper. Remaining meatballs should be 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook meatballs in small batches. As each batch is completed, remove to a warmed serving plate. Add oil to pan as necessary. Serve when all the meatballs are cooked.