M5 Meatball Bake
Since I always have ground beef, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan, and eggs on hand, meatballs are an easy go-to dinner choice for me, because they're something I can make from pantry and fridge staples without going to the grocery store (ours is a good 20 minutes from home!)
Serve the meatballs piping hot over polenta, stuff them into long rolls for meatball subs, or pile them onto spaghetti. If you'd like to double the recipe, bake the meatballs in a high-sided roasting pan, like what you might use for a turkey.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound Five Marys dry-aged ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) freshly ground Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 (25-ounce) jar good tomato-based pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh torn basil (from 3 large sprigs), optional - for serving
• Cooked polenta, noodles, rice, or vegetables, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, blend together the beef, eggs, cheese, oats, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. You can use a fork, but I find my hands to be the best tool here.
Pour the tomato sauce across the bottom of a 12-inch oven proof skillet. Using your hands, form the meat mixture into about 20 golf ball-sized balls, rolling each between your palms to make it smooth before nestling it into the sauce.
Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes, or until browned on top and cooked though. Sprinkle with the basil and serve piping hot, over polenta, noodles, rice, or vegetables, with extra Parmesan on the side.
For more recipes like this one - check out the M5 Almanac!