Wow those look really good Annie! 16 dozen OMG.

I'm making some today ...I think....I have the meat defrosting but they may turn out as patties instead. But I'm just making one pound's worth for today's lunch.

That would be some job to make them for 300 if that's what they'd like for the wedding. But then you and Elery are such a good team at cooking up for a crowd!

SharonCb

Once again Annie is not content to make just a little of anything! LOL! Appetizers for 300 is just a walk in the park for you and Elery. I think it's time for me to make meatballs again. 'Course, I only make 3 lbs. worth at a time.

Teresa

Okay - now I have a meatball craving. This look awesome Annie and even if I cant be there in person to help you cook, you know I am there for you in spirit. Congrats to the happy couple.

Alexa

Holy cow - I feel like I deserve a medal after making 2 lbs. into meatballs! That is work!

AM

We love Meatballs...I put at least 40 in our Sunday Gravy every weekend. When I put it up in the morning now that the family expanded i use a 16qt pot! I also agree that Roccos mom meatballs are terrible IMO...Im very picky with Italian food I been spoiled for many years! Annie yours look very moist and yummy nice job!

Those look really yummy, Annie!

But you know, posting a picture without the recipe? That's not kosher!! LOL

I'm NOT going to make 10 lbs. at a time but I do like making meatballs for parties, they are wonderful appies! I like to bake mine as well since it takes much less standing-up-in-the-kitchen time. I usually just wing it and throw in whatever spices and ingredients sound good at the moment but it sure would be nice to have a T&T recipe!

Those look really good, Annie!

I have not been able to find a meatball recipe I like, other than Ann's Swedish Meatballs.

I prefer meatballs a little more dense, also. I am working on perfecting a braised meatball in mushroom gravy recipe. Maybe I'll work on that this weekend.

Linda

I shouldn't have opened this thread since I've already been craving "Mama's Meatballs." I'm snowed in and can't get to the store to buy the meats. Ship south please.

Annie.....Those meatballs look great!

I would like to ask what the oven temperature is, and bake for how long?

I have always pan-fried, but think oven baked would be much easier and much better, healthwise!

Annie, they look spectacular!!
I only use Rocco's Momma's recipe. Depending on volume I may pan fry or bake.
For Christmas I did as Annie and baked but alas I only made 4 dozen (grin).

I know we've had countless meatball threads but for me Momma's meatballs are extremely close to how Frank's Nanny made them and so it is the recipe I use exclusively now...its rich and eggy and yields a very light meatball which we rather enjoy.

I guess its a matter of taste.

Anyways all my meatballs are gone so if you are willing to ship to woodie, throw a few dozen a few miles south to me!! LOL!!!

Cheers!
Susie

Lisbet, I bake at 400 for about 20 minutes because I do like them to brown. I do NOT like fried meatballs at all, so baking is the only option for me.

Beverly, I made them with all beef because I won't eat veal and I forgot to take out a chunk of pork to grind, LOL. So, if you have ground beef, you're set. Oh, and I do grind meat in the food processor, it works pretty well, so there's an option.

Peppi, it's OK, you can have all my dense and heavy meatballs, I've sure made enough of them in my life. Come to Michigan, we'll experiment with other meatball recipes! Or maybe I'll come there and Dilly and your Dad can be guinea pigs. Can I bring Cooper? He's a good taster and he likes you.

Eileen, your family expanded past four kids? You'd have to make 40 meatballs! It's a darned good thing I'm not Italian, though, because I don't much like meatballs in any form, no matter how they are sauced. I'll eat these, but it's not my first choice. I also don't like red sauces, not even "sunday gravy", don't care for white pasta and I hate and detest pizza. I especially don't like those "dense and heavy belly bombs fried in grease" kind of meatballs. You know, the ones that are the size of ping pong balls but weigh half a pound each, LOL. I've made a few of those, can you tell? Yeah, I'm picky, I know...

I make them in huge batches because they are such a mess to deal with and such a PIA to make, if I'm gonna mess the kitchen up that much I'm going to make it good. They go pretty quickly because Ashley likes to take out a package when she has friends over and just warm them up and dunk them in catsup or canned spaghetti sauce, and Amanda will alway "borrow" a couple of bags for quick suppers. I will probably end up not eating a single one of them, LOL.

Actually, I made that many because I wanted to see how far 10 lbs of ground meat would go. It made 192 meatballs, with enough "mix" leftover for one good sized meatloaf that Amanda can bake this weekend, so it would probably make another 2 dozen, 216 total. I figure meatballs for 300 would require at least 2 meatballs per person, or 600 meatballs, so that's 30 lbs. of ground meat. Do you think two are enough, given that we'll be making other appetizers too, or should I figure three?

May, here's the recipe. I think it's the parmesan cheese that makes them acceptable. Oh, and I use homemade bread crumbs, this batch got crumbs from the beer/cheese bread that I made a couple of months ago and stuck in the freezer. I think it made them even cheesier. Hey, it's kind of like cleaning the freezer. Sort of...

I followed instructions through step 4, LOL, then all bets are off. Baked instead of fried. There's no way I'm simmering mine in marinara, but I might do a portion of them that way for the wedding.

Chef Rocco Dispirito's Mama's Meatballs

1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup diced yellow onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped fine
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-6 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

1. Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic, and parsley in a blender or food processor and puree.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pureed stock mix, meat, bread crumbs, egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, red pepper flakes, and salt.
3. Combine with hands until mixture is uniform, do not overmix.
4. Put a little olive oil on your hands and form mixture into balls a little larger than golf balls.
5. Pour about 1/2 inch of extra virgin olive oil in straight sided, 10-inch-wide saute pan and heat over medium-high flame.
6. Add the meatballs to the pan, working in batches if necessary, and brown meatballs, turning once.
7. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
8. While meatballs are browning, heat the marinara sauce in a large pot.
9. Transfer the meatballs to the pot with the marinara sauce and simmer for one hour.
10. Serve alone or over your favorite pasta.

Elery will "sample" some this weekend, he likes pasta and marinara, poor guy, and doesn't cook it because I don't like it. So, he'll be happy and I'll smile and eat a little pasta and explain that I need to lose that 12 pounds because my blood pressure is up, LOL.

Annie

They look great, Annie.

Excellent, thank you. I'm definitely going to make these next time.

I love Rocco's meatballs, but I'v never made that many at once, I don't think I'd have the freezer space!! For something different but really delisious, try Rachel Ray's Turkey Meatballs.

Rachel Ray's Turkey Meatballs

1 Box Frozen Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/3 Pound Box Ground Turkey Breast
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Large Egg
¼ Cup Milk
¾ Cup Bread Crumbs
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Form into 12 large balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with Olive Oil and bake in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes, until golden. Serve with Cheese Sauce on the Side.

CHEESE SAUCE

2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Cup Milk
1 10-ounce Bag Shredded Italian Style Cheeses
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

In a small heavy bottom sauce pan add a drizzle of Olive Oil and melt the Butter. Sauté the Onion until translucent, but not browned. Add the Flour and stir for one minute. Wisk in the Milk and Chicken Stock and bring to a boil, wisk in Cheeses and stir until smooth. Taste to correct seasonings.

skeip, now THAT sounds like something I might actually eat, thank you!

Annie

Annie, if the meatballs are going to be appetizers, I would proably make them much smaller, yielding more per pound of meat.

I have made those turkey meatballs and they are quite good!

Linda

Annie , they do look good. That's my favourite meatball recipe too. I always make a big batch when I make them. Might as well, it's not a whole bunch more work. Mind you I normally only make about 80 or so!

I want to caution you about using this recipe for making appetizers. I find the mixture too "soft" to stand up to various sauces, longer hold times and people "spooning" them out. I end up with broken up pieces of meat in sauce, not great for appetizers which I want firm and "spearable".

Thanks, Sharon, for that warning. You may be right, they are relatively fragile for a meatball. You are right, it's not much more work to make a lot than to make a few.

Elery says we should just buy a bunch of meatballs from Gordon Foods, the bride/groom/attendants are all in their 20s and don't know the difference anyway. I told him that I'D know.

So I need those heavy, densely packed gut bombs that I used to make?

Annie

To be honest Annie...I'm with Elery...buy them at Costco! After a few hours in the sauce (both guests and meatballs) know one will notice. Meatball appetizers are one dish I don't think is worth the effort to make home made for a large group...I'm just saying : )

However if you are determined, best you go for the densely packed gut bombs!

No sauce for the guests, Sharon. (grin) The groom is a music directo at a Methodist church and has a second job as radio announcer at the local Christian College radio station. He's not "allowed" to drink.

Bride came from, I think, Christian Reformed stock. She's a music teacher at that same Christian College that the groom works for. So, I doubt that there'll be "sauce" for any of us.

Annie

LOL but I'd still buy the meatballs!

PS: but you better think of stashing a bottle of wine for any kitchen help that may show up!

Kitchen help can bring their own, I'll have to stash a bottle for ME before this is over. (grin)

Annie

I'll have to make some of these to test them out in advance and see how soft they are. But I usually don't have them literally swimming in sauce when I serve meatballs as appetizers. I usually just have them sort of coated in sauce, so that you can use a toothpick to serve yourself rather than a spoon. They might be too soft for a toothpick though, huh?

I'll probably use a pound or less of meat as a test run and make some in the next week or so. Thanks for the warning.

May, mine are firm enough to pick up with a toothpick and dunk into sauce but if I had a big pot of them and tried to stir them several times in the sauce, I think Sharon has a point, I'd probably break them.

Annie

Annie - I know you don't need me to suggest sauces, but here's one that a friend always makes, couldn't be easier, and she uses Costco meatballs. After all this time she's embarrassed to still be making them, but everybody asks for them...

Sauerbraten Meatballs

5 cups beef broth
8 T lemon juice
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c ginger snap crumbs

Bring broth and juice to a boil, add sugar and snaps, then simmer meatballs. She said she simmers for several hours before transfering to a crock pot and taking to the party.

(Told you it's easy!)

Annie, my neighbor bailed me out one time when I had to take something to a meeting and was told at the last minute. She gave me some meatballs that she makes for appetizers. They are delish!

MEATBALLS
From Dianne

1 and half pounds of ground sirloin or ground round
bread crumbs or Ritz crackers crushed ( about two-thirds C)
ginger - 1/4 teaspoon (to taste)
minced onions
egg
green pepper - diced
1 can drained pineapple (crushed or tidbits)
1and 1/2 teaspoon salt
Make into ball shape
Brown in olive oil
drain grease

MEATBALL SAUCE (for about 50-60 meatballs)
1 to 1 and 1/2 Cups water
1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
1 middle size bottle of Heinz ketchup
2 Cups (plus a few tablespoons more) of brown sugar
slow simmer at low setting in Crock pot

Thanks, FOAS, I've never seen anything remotely like that sauce, and I love gingersnaps, so I'm going to have to try it whether the "happy couple" says yea or nay.

Thanks to you too, beachlily, that's a little different than the one I have, mine takes catsup, brown sugar and some balsamic vinegar. So the water is just to make it thinner and "saucier", I suppose, and the chili sauce would make it less sweet...

I've also had the grape jelly and catsup stuff, which the kids love but I don't so much.

Does anyone have a good creamy style sauce?

Annie

Here's a really good meatball to make small and eat with tooth picks. It's Beatrice Ojakangas recipe that has become a Christmas Eve tradition the last two years.

Mormor's Meatballs

* 1/2 cup bread crumbs -- dried
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 pound ground beef
* 1/2 pound ground pork
* salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 small onion -- chop fine
* 1 egg -- slightly beaten
* 6 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/2 cup beef broth -- concentrated
* 2 tablespoons butter -- melted

In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and milk; let stand a few minutes until milk is absorbed. Add the beef, pork, 1 teaspoon salt, allspice, ginger, onion, and egg and mix until blended. Shape mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Drop the meatballs into the water and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, broth, and melted butter; stir and heat until the brown sugar is dissolved to form a glaze. Drain the meatballs and place in a single layer in a 13x9" baking dish. Spoon the glaze over the meatballs and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, turning the meatballs by shaking the pan after each 10 minutes of baking.
Recipe from "Christmas Memories with Recipes" (Beatrice Ojakangas)

Annie, the wine is for religous purposes and there better be more than one bottle or a really big one. Jesus did turn water to wine at the feast of he wedding at Caanan after all. And it is only old grape juice.

And listen to Elery on this one. GFS is not that bad for 300 guests. We would stash yours in the kitchen with the medicine for the help.

Hi Annie, one of my favorites, simple food. I made some for a pot luck only a few weeks ago for mom to take. I also bake em, found that it's much easier and this last time I put parchment paper on the cookie sheet to help with the greasy cleanup. I haven't tried that recipe, I usually just wing it with oregano, rosemary, salt, garlic etc and some bread crumbs.

What I made for the pot luck a few times for her was sweet and sour meatballs. They must be ok because they seem to disappear off the table pretty fast. Again I sort of wing the recipe but its so simple a child could do it

1 can (14 oz?) of pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 can of water
3/4 can of brown sugar
1/2 can of white vinegar
Optional: sliced or chopped up green pepper, I always put it in near the end so it doesn't go too soggy and I also save a bit of the pineapple chunks for near the end so they stay a bit crisper

bring it all to a boil and taste add/subtract depending on how sweet/tart you want it.. Throw in the meatballs, if they're frozen takes about 10-15 minutes in the simmering sauce..

Peter!!! I am so happy to see you here again, how the heck have you been.

Actually that sweet and sour sauce sounds like something Amanda would love, and I'll have several good "sauces" for the bride and groom to try, I knew I'd find help here!

Annie

Hi,, things have been good for the most part, better than they were for awhile LOL just haven't been so much into the cooking this past year really.

Well, I've missed you and I hope things are all straightened out and you get back to cooking!

Annie

skeip - how obvious is the spinach? I always make my meatballs with ground turkey, it would be great to incorporate spinach if my kids weren't wise to it

Annie: I did NOT repeat NOT have another child...but my family are all in the same town and my nephew now has 2 babies sooooooo the table is expanding!

Thanks for the explanation, Eileen, I didn't THINK I'd miss anything as obvious as another child, but you never know.

Actually, I thought maybe you were caring for a parent or something along that line. Congrats to the nephew on the new additions.

Annie

Blueiris24 - the spinach is pretty upfront visually - what's that green stuff? I'm not eating that!! - but once they tried it mine all thought they were pretty good. I think it was the cheese sauce that sold them.

Annie1992 - you are amazing!! I read you on some of the other forums and you always have good insightful advice coming from what seems like a wealth of experience. Keep posting!

Annie, your meatballs are beautiful. I agree with you, if you're going to mess up the kitchen, make a lot of what you're cooking. I made Lou's meatballs a couple of months ago and it was the first time I ever baked instead of fried. Loved them and its so easy to grab them out of the freezer for a quick dinner. In fact, we had spagetti and meatballs with homemade Italian garlic bread last night. Might give your recipe a try the next time. Variety is the spice of life.

Congratulations on the new baby, Eileen..I didn't know..LOL

The meatballs look good, Annie ...dh is making them as I type. I used to be the meatballer but he told me mine were not all perfectly round..so I gave the job to him..less work for mother! :)

My favorite meatball sauce for parties is just a mixture of plain ol' ketchup & beer. It's surprisingly very good.

LOL, Kathleen, are they SUPPOSED to be perfectly round. I never knew.....(grin)

May, thanks, I'll try that for the happy couple but I hate beer and I don't like anything with beer in it. Plus, they are teetotalers, as noted above, so probably not. It might be fun, though, now that you've mentioned it!

Annie

Hey PK! Glad to hear from you.

I make a sweet and sour sauce very close to what PK makes. I use it for sweet and sour pork but it would be great on meatballs now that I see Pete's recipe.

1/2 cup salad oil
1 clove garlic
2 green peppers, quartered
1 1/2 to 2 lbs pork tenderloin, cubed
2 eggs
3 TBSP flour
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 TBSP corn starch
3 tsp soya sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 TBSP molasses

Parboil peppers for 5 minutes. Saute garlic in oil. In separate bowl, beat flour, eggs and seasonings. Dip the pork in the mixture and brown in the oil. Pour off excess oil add broth, pineapple and peppers. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Blend remaining ingredients. Add to pork. Stir until thick.

For meatballs forget the pork, flour and eggs. Dice rather than quarter the peppers so I would forget the parboil part. Continue from the broth part on. I've talked myself into trying this I think it would be yummy!

Maybe it's too much but I'd go for a Sweet and Sour, a Marinara, a BBQ and a Swedish style, actually a Mexican sauce could be could too.

That's it !! Have a meatball station! LOL

Now there's an idea, Sharon. Just big piles of meatballs and dishes of various sauces. Works for me!

Elery's oldest son had a "dry" reception too, of sorts. They hired a company that brought in all the equipment for various coffee drinks and hired barristas. All the coffee anyone wanted, in any number of variations. Everyone was so wired on coffee that it was as funny as watching the drinkers at other functions. No one peed on the DJ, though, darn it....

Annie

Not what I was thinking Annie darlin' ;)

I was thinking 3, 4 or 5 different types of meatballs in sauce lined up in some of those divided, heated, serving trays, thingies. So people could sample.

Now I do happen to have one with three hot dishes and another with two.......and I'm just down the 401! LOL

Annie you must be related to the Energizer Bunny. I get exhausted just thinking about all the work you do.

Why has Jessy not made some comment about your 10 lbs of beefy balls? Almost need a salty sauce of some kind just to tease her.

When I was young there was a polka that would play on the radio about there being no beer in heaven so we have to drink it here. LOL... now that my memory is tickled the guys at work will have to put up with me whistling polkas today.... they are so lucky I can't sing in german.

: )
lyra

I went to an interesting restaurant last night (Tre Dici, NYC) with a few clients. Had wine and a dish called Inside-out Meatballs.

Obviously I could not tell what's the recipe. All I can say is that those were the best meatballs I have had and they had cheese inside.

I don't mind committing a serious crime to get the recipe from the chef. LOL

dcarch

Man, those inside out meatballs sound good! According to the website I've linked below, they are "made of beef, pork and veal and stuffed with fresh mozzarella, then fried and topped with homemade marinara."

I bet with a little bit of experimenting you might be able to come up with something similar.

Here is a link that might be useful: tre dici review

blueiris24- I made the turkey meatball recipe skeip posted, tonight, without the spinach and it still tasted great! I would have loved the spinach, but the picky eater in our family would have turned his nose up at it. Thanks for posting that recipe skeip. That's the first turkey meatball recipe I've made in which the meatballs didn't taste dried out and the sauce is very good too!

Annie, M wants to know if you will deliver to Ohio?!!! I make them under protest. I don't like them, but will eat them without garlic if I HAVE to!

Tami