Best Little Meatballs Recipes

LITTLE LAMB MEATBALLS IN A SPICY EGGPLANT TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Combine eggplant, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until eggplant begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in minced onion and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until onion softens, 4 minutes.
• Stir in chicken broth and marinara sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce mixture has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk bread crumbs, egg, and Greek yogurt in a large bowl until the bread crumbs absorb all the liquid, about 3 minutes.
• Mix onions, garlic, Kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander into the bread crumb mixture.
• Crumble lamb into bread crumb spice mixture; stir in cayenne pepper.
• Form lamb mixture into small meatballs and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Place baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake until browned, but still pink inside, about 10 minutes.
• Remove meatballs from the oven and stir into simmering sauce. Simmer over low heat until sauce begins to thicken, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped fresh mint.

MINESTRA (ESCAROLE AND LITTLE MEATBALLS SOUP)

Steps:

• Trim the escarole and discard any bruised leaves. Cut off the stem ends. Seperate the leaves and wash well in cool water, especially the center of the leaves where soil collects. Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1 inch strips. You should have about 4 cups.
• In a large pot, combine the escarole, broth, carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook until the escarole is almost tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the meatballs. Shape the mixture into tiny meatballs, less than 1 inch in diameter.
• When the escarole is cooked, stir in the pasta and return the soup to a simmer. Drop the meatballs into the soup. Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until the meatballs and pasta are cooked, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning. At this point I drizzle in one mixed egg and stir. It makes pretty egg flower strings throughout the soup.
• Top with grated Parmesan and serve hot.

THE SOUP WITH THE LITTLE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, Italian seasoning, egg and ground beef. Mix together well and form into small meatballs, no larger than 1 inch in diameter; set aside.
• In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the chicken broth and 2 cups cheese. Bring this to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Slowly add the meatballs, stirring gently so that they do not clump together into one uber-meatball. Cook for about 30 minutes, until beef is no longer pink and broth is slightly thickened.
• Add the pasta, again stirring gently so that they do not clump, and cook for about 30 more minutes, until pasta is tender and flavors are well blended. Season to taste and serve immediately.

CHICKEN AND EGG SOUP WITH LITTLE VEAL MEATBALLS

Steps:

• This recipe has many personal touches: The combination of beef and chicken in the base of the recipe is something I got from my mother, studding the chicken with a couple of cloves to add a special flavor from making chicken stock at Guy Savoy in Paris and most of all, the meatballs from my parents. This soup is a meal unto itself and tastes even better leftover.
• 2 stalks celery with leaves, inner pieces from the bunch peeled of outer skin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Soup: Season the chicken with salt, to taste, and push the 2 cloves into 1 of the chicken thighs. Add it to a large stock pot, cover with about 4 quarts water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, season the beef bones with salt and brown them in a cast iron pan with the canola oil, searing them over medium heat. Add them to the pot with the chicken. To the pan that the bones were seared in, over medium heat, add the carrots, celery and onion and toss until they are coated in oil. Add the thyme and bay leaves to the stock pot along with the sauteed vegetables. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and skim the surface with a ladle. Discard any oil or "scum" that accumulates. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, not too much, and lower the heat to finish cooking the chicken slowly.
• Meatballs: Put the ground veal into a medium bowl. Add the salt, garlic, Parmesan, basil, egg and bread crumbs. Use your hands to mix to blend the ingredients. Roll a small meatball and cook a "tester" ladled into the soup, if desired. Taste and reseason the meat mixture, if needed. Roll the rest of the veal into small meatballs. They should be about the size of a small cherry tomato. (Chef's Note: Imperfectly rolled meatballs actually make this soup more homey and real.) Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
• After about 45 minutes at a gentle simmer, taste the chicken soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Use a large spoon and a pair of tongs to remove the chicken to a baking sheet or other flat surface and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Remove the beef bones and scoop out the marrow. Add it to the soup, if desired. Remove and discard the fresh thyme and bay leaves. Take the breast and thigh meat off the chicken, taking care to discard the bones and skin. Break the chicken into bite-size pieces, but not too small, and add them to the soup.
• Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and add the meatballs. Allow it to continue simmering for a couple of minutes so the meatballs have a chance to cook. Drizzle in the eggs and continue to mix as they cook. They should look like little threads in the soup. Stir in the spinach and taste for seasoning. Transfer the soup to serving bowls and serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

MINESTRA (ESCAROLE AND LITTLE MEATBALLS SOUP)

Steps:

• Trim and clean the escarole.
• Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1 inch strips.
• You should have about 4 cups.
• In a large pot, combine the escarole, broth and carrots.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until the escarole is almost tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together the meatball ingredients.
• Shape the mixture into tiny balls, less than 1 inch in diameter.
• When the escarole is cooked, stir in the pasta and return the soup to the simmer.
• Drop the meatballs into the soup.
• Cook over low heat, stirring gently, until the meatballs and pasta are cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Serve hot with more grated Parmesan.

AUNT FANNY'S PASTA SOUP WITH LITTLE MEATBALLS RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE MEATBALLS: Mash the bread and milk together in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese,garlic, thyme,egg, salt, and pepper. Add the meat and mix with your hands until well combined. With wet hands, form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. 2. FOR THE SOUP: Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add the macaroni and 1 tbsp. salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the macaroni and rinse under cold water, and set aside. Wipe the pot dry with paper towels. 3. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and broth and, using a potato masher, mash the tomatoes until broken into bite-sized pieces. Add the meatballs to the soup (do not stir), bring to a simmer, and cook until the meatballs are tender, 10-15 minutes. 4. Stir the pasta into soup and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese and basil before serving.

LITTLE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• grate the zucchini and squeeze out the moisture. add all the other ingredients and mix together with your hands. the consistency should be quite firm - add more breadcrumbs if needed.
• shape into mini burgers taking a small handful at a time or use a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and roll into balls.
• put on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes until browned. serve with mint sauce.
• makes 35 meatballs or 12 mini burgers.
• the mint sauce: mash together 1 clove of garlic and a small handful of mint leaves to a paste in a pestle. add the juice of one lemon and mash some more. mix in 3/4 of a cup of thick natural yoghurt and add salt and pepper to taste.

TINY LITTLE MEATBALLS !

Steps:

• 1. Mix all together very well. Leave sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• 2. Using a teaspoon, make 1/2 - inch size meat balls. Put them in a skillet with a little olive oil. Cook until browned. Set on a baking sheet, when baking sheet is full, put it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Repeat until all are done.
• 3. **** Let cool. Put some into 1 quart zipper bags. Freeze. When you need them, thaw completely before useing.
• 4. **** Use these meatballs on pizzas, in spaghetti, or in soups. **** My 3 year old grandson likes to make "baby meatball sandwiches"

ESCAROLE AND LITTLE MEATBALLS SOUP

Steps:

• 1 Prepare the broth, if necessary. Then, trim the escarole and discard any bruised leaves. Cut off the stem ends. Separate the leaves and wash well in cool water, especially in the center of the leaves where soil collects. Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1-inch strips. 2 In a large pot, combine the broth, escarole, and carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs: Mix all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. With your hands (or a small scoop dispenser), shape the mixture into tiny balls, about the size of small grapes, and place them on a plate or tray. 4 When the vegetables are ready, gently drop the meatballs one at a time into the soup. Cook over low heat, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, sprinkled with grated Pecorino Romano. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

LITTLE MEATBALLS WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• 1. TO MAKE THE SALSA: In a blender, combine all of the ingredients except the oil. With the machine running, gradually add the oil through the cover opening until the sauce is smooth and thick. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and let stand for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. (The salsa can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.) 2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, 1 egg, and the milk. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the ground round, sausage, cheese, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix with your hands until well combined. Using a heaping teaspoonful for each, form into balls and place on waxed paper. You should have about 36 bite-sized meatballs. 3. Place the remaining 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs in a deep plate. In another deep plate, whisk the remaining 2 eggs until well beaten. One at a time, dip the meatballs in the eggs, then coat with the bread crumbs, patting to make the crumbs adhere. Return to the waxed paper. 4. Line another baking sheet with paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 365°F. In batches, without crowding, deep-fry the meatballs until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to the paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the salsa verde.