Italian Meatball Recipe

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I came across Chef John's Italian Meatballs recipe one day, tried it and loved it. I've only tried one other meatball recipe (I don't remember which one) and didn't like it. I found Chef John's recipe pretty good, and have stuck to it since.

Chef John uses a mixture of ground beef and ground pork. Greg is not a fan of pork, so I use only beef. I also use 93/7 lean ground beef instead of 80/20, which reduces the amount of fat by quite a bit. But the meatballs still turn out good. I say these meatballs are worth a try!

Italian Meatballs in sauce

Italian Meatball Recipe 

Makes 30 meatballs

• INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 lbs ground beef
  (I use 93% lean 7% fat for fewer calories.)
• 2 eggs 
• 1/4 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
  (I use 1/2 the amount of salt stated in original recipe. Don't like too much sodium in my food!)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

  

  What you'll need

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1

In a small bowl, soak bread crumbs in milk for 20 minutes.

STEP 2

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until translucent, about 15 minutes. 

STEP 3

Place ground beef in a large bowl. Add onion, bread crumb mixture, eggs, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Mix everything together with a rubber spatula (or use your hands like I did) until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour.

STEP 4

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray.

STEP 5

Using wet hands, form meat mixture into balls of about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. For uniform size meatballs, I use an ice cream scoop (that's 2 tablespoons of meat mixture per meatball). I use my right hand to scoop and form the meat mixture, and my left hand to help shape the ball.  Place meatballs on prepared baking sheet.

Neatly arranged and ready to go into the oven

STEP 6

Bake meatballs until browned and cooked through, about 15 - 20 minutes.

STEP 7 (OpTIONAL)

In a large skillet or a pot, heat up a jar (or two) of your favorite Italian sauce. Add cooked meatballs, and let them simmer in the sauce for an hour. 

Chili Recipe

All-American Chili

In Singapore, chili usually refers to spicy chili peppers, or a condiment that accompanies pretty much anything and everything. But in the US, mention chili and the first thing that comes to mind is a bowl of spicy stew. The only American style chili that I had in Singapore was chili cheese fries from Carl's Jr., which I thought was so-so. Then one day, I tried the chili at Red Robin here. I fell in love with chili.

Greg and I were out grocery shopping one day, and we had the idea to make chili for dinner. So he called his mom and asked her for her recipe. We took down the list of ingredients and directions over the phone. The recipe sounded simple, and indeed, it was. I halved the recipe as there was only the two of us. I also modified it a little by adding two more ingredients: garlic and cumin, which enhanced the flavor of the chili.

This chili is perfect for rainy days, cold days, and just about any other day.

It's good even on its own

Chili Recipe 

Makes about 4 bowls

• INGREDIENTS:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
  (I like to use 93% lean 7% fat to reduce some calories.)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes 
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15.5 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon corn starch + water for thickening (optional)
• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion to the pot, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Then add ground beef, and break it into pieces using a wooden or heat resistant spoon. Cook until browned, stirring occasionally. 

STEP 2

Pour in tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and beans. Add chili powder and cumin. Stir everything together well. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

STEP 3

After 1 hour, check the consistency of the chili. If it is at desired consistency, turn off heat. If it is not thick enough, stir in corn starch mixture. Let it thicken before turning off heat. 

STEP 4

Serve with cheddar cheese.

NOTES & TIPS:

If you are watching your sodium intake, you can control the sodium by using no salt added tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and beans. After the chili has simmered, taste it, and see if you need to add any salt.