Best 9 Tiny Little Meatballs Recipes

MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix really well.
• Roll meat into 1" balls- at this point, you can either continue or freeze them for later use, providing your beef wasn't pre-frozen.
• Arrange the meatballs on a rack over a foil-lined pan (for easy clean-up).
• Bake in a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes, or until meatballs are browned- you can also freeze them at this point, or use them in other dishes (or just eat them plain).

GRANDMA GUARNASCHELLI'S LASAGNA WITH MINI BEEF MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Stir in the red pepper flakes and sugar, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, with their juices, and the oregano. Cook for a few minutes over high heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, add the basil leaves, and remove from the heat.
• Make the meatballs: Put the beef and veal in a large bowl and spread the meat all over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. (This will help you to distribute the seasonings evenly through the meat.) Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Then sprinkle the bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and parsley all over the meat and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and garlic. Drizzle the egg mixture over the meat. Mix the meat thoroughly with your hands.
• Test a meatball: Form 1 small meatball (about 1 inch in diameter) with your hands. Heat a splash of the canola oil in a small skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the meatball, lower the heat, and cook it over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and texture. If it seems too wet, add some more bread crumbs to the mixture in the bowl. If it is too dry, add a splash of water. Adjust the seasoning of the mixture in the bowl as needed. Roll the remaining meat into balls; you should have about 40 very small meatballs.
• Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add half of the remaining canola oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, remove the pan from the heat and add half of the meatballs in a single layer, spreading them apart somewhat so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming. Return the pan to high heat and brown the meatballs, turning them so they brown all around, until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel to drain. Wipe out the skillet and repeat the process with the remaining canola oil and meatballs.
• Cook the pasta: Bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat and season with 1/2 cup salt. The pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the lasagna sheets, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure they do not clump or stick to the bottom, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain again. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle one-fourth of the mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano over the pasta, and then add another thin layer of sauce. Dot the surface with about one-third of the meatballs, spacing them evenly. Repeat the layering process two more times. Add a final layer of pasta and top it with the remaining sauce and cheese.
• Bake the lasagna: Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and remove the foil. Bake the lasagna until the top browns slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

TINY LITTLE MEATBALLS !

Steps:

• 1. Mix all together very well. Leave sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• 2. Using a teaspoon, make 1/2 - inch size meat balls. Put them in a skillet with a little olive oil. Cook until browned. Set on a baking sheet, when baking sheet is full, put it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Repeat until all are done.
• 3. **** Let cool. Put some into 1 quart zipper bags. Freeze. When you need them, thaw completely before useing.
• 4. **** Use these meatballs on pizzas, in spaghetti, or in soups. **** My 3 year old grandson likes to make "baby meatball sandwiches"

TINY MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the grated onion and a pinch of salt and cook until the onion begins to release some moisture and soften, about 2 minutes. Add the grated garlic and cook until softened. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Combine the onion and garlic mixture with the ground meat in a large bowl. Add the egg. Squeeze out the bread, discarding the milk, and add the bread to the meat mixture along with the oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients with your hands until they are evenly distributed. Form meatballs right away or cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.
• Put some flour in a bowl or pie plate. Form the meat mixture into balls a little bit smaller than golf balls. (This is easier to do with wet hands.) Roll them in the flour, shaking off any excess.
• Add enough canola oil to come up a third of the way in a large shallow saute pan or skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the meatballs in batches, turning once, until cooked through but still moist inside, about 5 minutes. (Cut one open if you are unsure of doneness.) Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
• Arrange the meatballs on a serving platter. Grind some fresh pepper over the top, then sprinkle on some torn mint leaves and the lemon zest. Drizzle with some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Serve the lemon wedges on the side.

QUICK AND SIMPLE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine eggs, water, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic and seasonings; mix well. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place meatballs on greased racks in shallow baking pans. Bake, uncovered, until no longer pink, 15-18 minutes. , Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatballs in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in the microwave.

MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine beef, bacon, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Shape mixture into 40 meatballs.
• Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or on 2 large plates. Freeze 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag; label and date.
• To use the meatballs straight from the freezer, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

MINI MEATBALL SOUP

Steps:

• In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
• Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.
• In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.
• Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.

MINI MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the grated onion, eggs and parsley and mix well.
• 2. Stir in ground meat and season with salt (1-2 tsp.) and ground black pepper to taste. Knead for 3-5 minutes until mixed well. Cover meat and let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• 3. Heat olive oil and add onion, bell peppers and garlic. Saute approx. 5 minutes; stirring often. Add the chopped tomatoes and add 1 cup water. Stir, cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• 4. Remove meat from refrigerator. Wet your hands and take a small walnut-sized amount of meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place the meatballs on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes or until they get a nice golden brown coating.
• 5. Transfer the baked meatballs to a large baking dish and pour the tomato sauce around them giving a gentile mix. Bake for 15 minutes. During cooking the sauce will thicken and coat the meatballs. Serve hot with plain rice and if desired, a cucumber, mint and yogurt dip.

MINI MEATBALL SOUP WITH BROCCOLI AND ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the carrots, broccoli stems and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the garlic from scorching, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the broth is flavorful, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as it simmers.
• Once the broth begins to simmer, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and divide it among bowls.
• While the pasta cooks and the broth simmers, use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop little sausage meatballs and plop them into the broth. (You can also pinch 1/2-inch pieces of the sausage and roll them between your hands.) Return to a boil, add the broccoli florets, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring gently and occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through and the florets are bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the soup over the orecchiette. Finish with Parmesan.