As I grow older, I find that the foods I loved as a child are now some of my favorites again. Don't get me wrong, I love to try new things, love to experiment, and as a result, I find that I am going back and re-vamping recipes I used as a new cook, or those used by family members and friends.
This meatball recipe is good as an appetizer, with spaghetti and homemade marinara sauce,and the next day, I put the sauce and meatballs in a roll and have a meatball sub for lunch or a quick dinner, and sometimes I make tiny ones and use them as the meat in my lasagna recipe. I have put them in brown gravy over noodles, etc. Don't be afraid to experiment and use them in other ways. I usually make a double recipe and freeze half, to use later.
(NOTE: For the beginning cook, T=Tablespoon; t= teaspoon)
Preheat Oven to 400. Mix together the following in a medium sized mixing bowl:
1 cup unseasoned Bread Crumbs
3/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely grated (this is NOT parmesan cheese like you sprinkle on pizza)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Beef Broth
1/2 cup chopped Fresh Parsley
3 eggs, beaten
2 T dried Oregano
1T Garlic, minced
1T Kosher Salt
1T Ground Black Pepper
2t dried Basil
1t crushed red pepper flakes (omit this if you like to use as an appetizer in barbecue sauce)
After mixing together, ADD:
2 lbs. Ground Chuck
Stir together, using a fork. Using your hands at this point will result in tougher meatballs.
Using a scoop with a scraper built in to remove them, or using your hands, LIGHTLY roll meatballs in desired shape. 1 1/2 "to 2 " works well for use in spaghetti or as appetizers.
Spray the bottom of a baking pan or cookie sheet with non stick spray, and place meatballs so that they don't touch or crowd. Then, cover the bottom of baking pan or cookie sheet in the Beef Broth remaining in the can. Bake for about 20 minutes and check. If done, but not browned, this is the time to remove them, unless using immediately. If you are using them immediately, allow them to brown, but keep an eye on them, as they brown quickly, once they cook completely in the middle.
DO NOT THROW AWAY THE BROTH FROM THE PAN IF MAKING SPAGHETTI. YOU WILL USE IN MARINARA SAUCE, (RECIPE TO FOLLOW)
Ideas and recipes,techniques, etc. that have worked for me in my 35 year journey as a cook, wife, mom and Grammy!
I began cooking when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it was almost therapuetic, even then. After I got married, in 1982, I began really trying to come up with recipes and menus of my own.
I catered a few parties here and there, but I have no artistic abilities, so cake decorating wasn't my thing, and that limited my opportunities.
I do make a lovely display of food, and can, given time and space, make a lovely buffet or tablescape, but my food is what I focus on. After all, the beautiful cakes, etc. only look that way until they are cut... it is then that the true test of the cook begins. I'm not saying my food is ugly, because it isn't. You eat with your eyes first, so it has to be visually appealing.
I cook some really fancy things, and I will include those recipes here and there. But everyday food is where the majority of cooks need help. It is the newly married couple, or the beginning cook I want to reach; those struggling to come up with tasty dishes for the average Sunday meal or a dish they can make over the weekend and re heat or restyle during the week, to broaden their menu on a smaller budget.
I love to smoke foods, grill a steak, etc. But I am a southern "if it ain't fried, it ain't supper" kind of gal. Most of my dishes aren't typically low fat nor are they figure friendly. They are comfort food... pure and simple.
One of the hardest things I learned to make was a good mashed potato dish... sounds simple, but there are so many potatoes out there, and some are great for roasting, but few lend themselves to that creamy texture we love when sitting down to a true "Sunday supper at Grandma's" taste.
So it is the everyday cook who should most enjoy my dishes. I certainly don't advocate fried food everyday, but I truly enjoy my share of country fried steak and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, pork shoulder, etc. I love to eat, I love to cook for others and my motto is "Never trust a skinny cook; if they don't eat their own food, why should I?'"
There are plenty of folks out there who can show you how to make a standing rib roast, and I may publish my own version, but I want you to be able to take that unexpected afternoon off or that lazy Saturday and turn it into something that takes you back to your childhood, or makes you think of your Grandma or Great Grandma when you eat it.
Please let me know how these recipes work for you and your family. Tell me and the followers if you put your own spin on a dish. I'd love to know if the tips, recipes, etc are helpful....comment on individual recipes or post as you like. I love to hear how someone has made a dish their very own.
The photos of recipes you will see here are pics of the actual dishes I have made and served my family... if you look closely, you may see a dirty dish or two, or a hand in the photos... I think you should only publish a recipe you have tried and tested on your own family. ENJOY!
I catered a few parties here and there, but I have no artistic abilities, so cake decorating wasn't my thing, and that limited my opportunities.
I do make a lovely display of food, and can, given time and space, make a lovely buffet or tablescape, but my food is what I focus on. After all, the beautiful cakes, etc. only look that way until they are cut... it is then that the true test of the cook begins. I'm not saying my food is ugly, because it isn't. You eat with your eyes first, so it has to be visually appealing.
I cook some really fancy things, and I will include those recipes here and there. But everyday food is where the majority of cooks need help. It is the newly married couple, or the beginning cook I want to reach; those struggling to come up with tasty dishes for the average Sunday meal or a dish they can make over the weekend and re heat or restyle during the week, to broaden their menu on a smaller budget.
I love to smoke foods, grill a steak, etc. But I am a southern "if it ain't fried, it ain't supper" kind of gal. Most of my dishes aren't typically low fat nor are they figure friendly. They are comfort food... pure and simple.
One of the hardest things I learned to make was a good mashed potato dish... sounds simple, but there are so many potatoes out there, and some are great for roasting, but few lend themselves to that creamy texture we love when sitting down to a true "Sunday supper at Grandma's" taste.
So it is the everyday cook who should most enjoy my dishes. I certainly don't advocate fried food everyday, but I truly enjoy my share of country fried steak and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, pork shoulder, etc. I love to eat, I love to cook for others and my motto is "Never trust a skinny cook; if they don't eat their own food, why should I?'"
There are plenty of folks out there who can show you how to make a standing rib roast, and I may publish my own version, but I want you to be able to take that unexpected afternoon off or that lazy Saturday and turn it into something that takes you back to your childhood, or makes you think of your Grandma or Great Grandma when you eat it.
Please let me know how these recipes work for you and your family. Tell me and the followers if you put your own spin on a dish. I'd love to know if the tips, recipes, etc are helpful....comment on individual recipes or post as you like. I love to hear how someone has made a dish their very own.
The photos of recipes you will see here are pics of the actual dishes I have made and served my family... if you look closely, you may see a dirty dish or two, or a hand in the photos... I think you should only publish a recipe you have tried and tested on your own family. ENJOY!
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