Author: Susanne at Dish With Me
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Jump to RecipeOh, guys, what can I say about these Forking Amazing Italian Meataballza? They really are forking amazing!!! You should try them on top of some pasta and my Meaty Spaghetti Sauce! You know, I call it spaghetti sauce, but, truly, it can top any pasta of your choice! It would be great on ravioli. Anyway, back to meataballza…
Yes, I know the correct way to say and spell meatballs, but it is so much more fun to say meataballza! Come on…try it! Say meatballs. Now, say meataballza. Fun, right? Haha! My oldest son just rolls his eyes at me! You know what? I’m okay with that.
This Forking Amazing Italian Meataballza recipe is definitely a family favorite! As a matter of fact, this and my pasta/spaghetti sauce are a couple of my most requested recipes, besides my salsa’s. They are completely filled with yummy, juicy flavor at every bite.
I think meatballs might be one of those things that some people are sort of intimidated by because it might seem that they may be a difficult thing to make, but that is simply not true! In reality, meataballza are super easy to make, offer a tremendous flavor payoff and are so versatile.
You know these tasty morsels will absolutely stand proud atop a plate of spaghetti made with my Meaty Spaghetti Sauce. BUT, you could also slice them and make meatball sandwiches with them, OR slice them and add them to homemade lasagna (I’ll post that recipe at another time) to make it extra special. Also, many love just eating them as-is! So, let’s make some already!!! I’ll be there every step of the way. Come on, get up and let’s do this thing!
Might I just add…I am not usually a lover of meatballs, but these…I love. A LOT.
HELPFUL HINTS FOR FORKING AMAZING ITALIAN MEATABALLZA
Meatballs can be fried in a pan, but I ALWAYS bake them in the oven. The big upsides to baking them in the oven is that they all cook at once, instead of in batches, and there is so much less mess. So, less work and less mess…win-win and Easy Peazy.
Panko, plain breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs can replace the Ritz type crackers, if that’s what you have on hand. I, actually, used to use Panko or Italian breadcrumbs, but, one day I didn’t have any on hand, so I tried the crackers and I liked the crackers so much that I’ve never gone back to using Panko or Italian bread crumbs.
I normally use organic ground beef with an 85/15 ratio.
Make a double batch and freeze them in an airtight container for later use.
Often, when I bake things I use triple layers of aluminum foil to line the baking sheet. I do 3 long strips. I use the first strip to make sure the rim on one side of the tray is completely covered. I do the same to the opposite side with the second strip. The 3rd strip is placed evenly right down the middle. This helps prevent a huge, greasy, messy clean-up. Unless you pierce the foil, so be careful. You’re welcome!
I use an ice cream scoop (approx 1.5 ” round) to make these.
Oh, by the way, these delightful bites can also be used as an appetizer, just make them a little smaller and adjust the baking time!
FORKING AMAZING ITALIAN MEATABALLZA
Equipment
- 1 ice cream scoop with trigger lever
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1.5 lb ground beef 85/15, I use the 1.34 lb package from Costco…it's close enough!
- 19 ounce pkg Italian sausage links casings removed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic grated with a microplane
- 1 Tablespoon beef broth base Orrington Farms
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 2 teaspoons basil dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons Cavender's seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
- 30 grinds freshly ground black pepper
- 1 whole sleeve ritz style crackers smashed
- 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano cheese
- 2 teaspoons EVOO
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet/tray with aluminum foil.
- In a small bowl, whisk eggs together
- Add all other ingredients to a large bowl, use hands to mix all ingredients together, including the whisked eggs.
- Using an ice cream scoop with a thumb lever, scoop meat mixture out, shape into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. They are approximately golf ball size.
- Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
- Enjoy!