Some people think of meatballs as a dish served best with spaghetti. I am one of those people. However, I also enjoy meatballs prepared in different ways. I get bored easily, as most people do, eating the same foods time after time. Here are a few versions of meatball recipes.
History of the Meatball
- A meatball consists of ground meat, usually some spices, and a binding agent such as eggs, flour, or bread crumbs
- Persian cookbooks were discovered to have some of the earliest meatball recipes
- Most countries have their own versions of meatball recipes
Pizza Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground pork or beef (lean)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup minced onion
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup Bisquick
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 jars of pizza or marinara sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine two pounds of ground pork or beef, one cup of parmesan cheese, one-quarter cup of minced onion, one-half cup of milk, two teaspoons of garlic salt, and one-half teaspoon of pepper. Mix well and shape into meatballs. You should have forty-eight to fifty meatballs when done
- Cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes, equalling the number of meatballs you have prepared. Push a cube of cheese into the center of each meatball, covering with the meat so that none of the cheese is exposed
- Place one-half cup of Bisquick into a bowl, and roll each meatball until evenly coated
- Brown the meatballs in a skillet using one-quarter cup of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Drain any excess oil. Pour in two twenty-eight-ounce jars of pizza or marinara sauce
- Reduce heat, cover, and let cook for an additional thirty minutes
- Serve on pasta or buns and enjoy
Meatball and Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 minced onion
- 1 tbsp parsley
- ½ tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ¼ cup Bisquick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 carrots (thinly sliced)
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomatoes paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a mixing bowl, combine two cups of ground pork, one minced onion, one tablespoon of parsley, one-half teaspoon of allspice, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper
- Mix well, and roll into sixteen meatballs. Place one-quarter cup of Bisquick into a bowl and coat each meatball evenly
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing the soup
Soup
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot and add four minced garlic cloves and one finely chopped onion
- Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots and celery, and cook for an additional three minutes
- Pour in two cans of diced tomatoes, one-quarter cup of tomato paste, four cups of beef broth, two cups of chicken broth, and one tablespoon of coriander. Bring to a boil
- Reduce the heat and simmer for at least one hour, stirring often
- Add meatballs, four cups of shredded cabbage, and salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Pastry Wrapped Meatballs
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
- 4½ cups Bisquick
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups butter (unsalted)
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Bisquick
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp canola oil
- 1 jar marinara sauce
Instructions
Puff Pastry
- Sift four and one-half cups of Bisquick and one-half teaspoon of salt. Stir in the water gradually, until dough-like consistency forms. Roll into a ball and flatten. Set aside for fifteen minutes to rest.
- Place two cups of butter between two pieces of parchment paper and roll flat with the use of a rolling pin. Refrigerate for approximately thirty minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to one-half-inch thick. Remove the chilled butter from the refrigerator and place it in the center of the rolled-out dough. Fold the ends of the dough over so that none of the butter is exposed. Roll out the butter-encased dough. (Make sure the butter does not break through the dough.) Fold the dough in half and roll out again to one-half-inch thick. Repeat this process two more times. Place the dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for one hour.
- The dough can now be used
Meatballs
- Mix one pound of ground turkey, one cup of grated parmesan cheese, one-quarter cup of Bisquick, one egg, one clove of minced garlic, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper
- Shape the meat mixture into thirty-six meatballs
- Heat four tablespoons of canola oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides
- Preheat the oven to three hundred and fifty degrees. Grease enough muffin pans to hold thirty-six pastries
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into thirty-six strips
- Wrap one strip around each meatball, stretching and sealing around the bottom. Place the dough-wrapped meatballs into the prepared pan and bake for twenty minutes
- Remove from oven and serve with the marinara sauce for dipping
Final Thought
There are so many options when choosing a perfect meatball recipe. These are three of the best I feel everyone should try at least once. Who knows, they might just become your new favorite.