Christmas Eve Meatballs
I make these meatballs every single Christmas Eve...or special occasion for that matter. They are inspired by the Monday night meatballs served at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, A16. I love how easy and rewarding this dish is and it also freezes really well.
Couple notes on the recipe. You could use all beef if you wanted or all pork but I like the combination of the two. I have even made them with great success using ground turkey. If you want extra sauce to go with the meatballs, consider using 1 1/2 to 2 cans of crushed tomatoes on top of the meatballs. Feel free to serve with or without pasta. These meatballs are big enough on their own that you don't necessarily need pasta.
Enjoy!
Oven Baked Meatballs
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
- 2 oz. raw bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1 tsp. ground fennel
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. salt
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley
Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Spray a 12x9 baking pan with non-stick spray.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the bacon, breadcrumbs, and parsley. If you have a big enough food processor, or in a large bowl, add in the pork, beef, eggs,ricotta, fennel, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes. Mix well them form into large balls.
Place meatballs in prepared baking pan. Bake meatballs for 30 minutes. Top meatballs with crushed tomatoes.
Reduce oven to 325°F. Bake meatballs for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until meatballs are cooked through and tomato sauce has reduced. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley.