Italian beef meatballs
I usually make meatballs with turkey, due to it being really low in fat but they can lack a bit of flavour and meaty-ness. Minced lamb is great for meatballs but due to the fat content, I can't really get away with it, so today I've used 5% minced beef and they do make a pretty decent ball!
For Italian meatballs you will need:
500g minced beef
2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 can chopped tomatoes
500g passata
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 egg
60g wholemeal bun, finely grated while frozen
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp oregano
4 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 tsp cream cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180*c (fan)
Firstly, get your onions and garlic in a hot frying pan and soften. Once they have a little colour and are tender, scoop out about half and out into a large mixing bowl.
To the remaining onions and garlic in the pan, add tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and passata.
Give everything a good stir then add balsamic vinegar, honey, parsley, 2 tsp basil and some salt and pepper.
Leave this to simmer and reduce.
Grab your mixing bowl with the onions and garlic in and add the beef mince, egg, fennel seeds, finely grated breadcrumbs, oregano and 2 tsp basil.
Get your hands in and mix everything together really well. Season with salt and pepper - be fairly generous. Form the mixture into meatballs. I made 8 decent sized ones. You could go smaller if you prefer.
Pour the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish and grate in the Parmesan cheese, give this a gentle stir.
Add the cream cheese in blobs - I went for half a teaspoon sized blobs....just drop them randomly into the sauce.
Get your frying pan nice and hot then brown off the meatballs. Make sure all sides are sealed, this will prevent them breaking up in the sauce. Keep turning them so they don't burn.
Carefully place the meatballs into the tomato sauce. Cover the dish with foil- wrap it pretty tightly.
Cook them in the oven at 180*c (fan) for about 40 minutes.
Done!!
For Italian meatballs you will need:
500g minced beef
2 large onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 can chopped tomatoes
500g passata
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 egg
60g wholemeal bun, finely grated while frozen
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp oregano
4 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 tsp cream cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180*c (fan)
Firstly, get your onions and garlic in a hot frying pan and soften. Once they have a little colour and are tender, scoop out about half and out into a large mixing bowl.
To the remaining onions and garlic in the pan, add tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and passata.
Give everything a good stir then add balsamic vinegar, honey, parsley, 2 tsp basil and some salt and pepper.
Leave this to simmer and reduce.
Grab your mixing bowl with the onions and garlic in and add the beef mince, egg, fennel seeds, finely grated breadcrumbs, oregano and 2 tsp basil.
Get your hands in and mix everything together really well. Season with salt and pepper - be fairly generous. Form the mixture into meatballs. I made 8 decent sized ones. You could go smaller if you prefer.
Pour the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish and grate in the Parmesan cheese, give this a gentle stir.
Add the cream cheese in blobs - I went for half a teaspoon sized blobs....just drop them randomly into the sauce.
Get your frying pan nice and hot then brown off the meatballs. Make sure all sides are sealed, this will prevent them breaking up in the sauce. Keep turning them so they don't burn.
Carefully place the meatballs into the tomato sauce. Cover the dish with foil- wrap it pretty tightly.
Cook them in the oven at 180*c (fan) for about 40 minutes.
Done!!
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