Hi ladies and gents, too?
After you mix up your favorite meatball recipe, whatever that might be, HOW DO YOU COOK/PREPARE YOURS?

In the past, I've made small 1 inch balls > dropped them into boiling water until they float > then scoop them out to drain > put them on a tray to freeze an hour or so > pop them into the freezer baggies for use later.

The last time I made them larger (1-2 in), I think I pan-cooked them till browned and then baked them 20 min. or so... then to freezer. I don't think this batch is going to work... looking for suggestions.

Thanks!

I put on rack over baking tray and bake until no longer pink. I love that the fat drains off.

All my relatives make them the way you do, including me. Frying in olive oil and then baking them makes them so yummy!
I fry practically nothing but my meatballs. I also put some in the sauce and leave some out b/c I love them plain :D:D
I put lots of parsley and grated Romano into them.
Geezzzzzzzz now I want some !lololol

I bake mine until no longer pink then put them on crockpot with sauce.

I just bought this meatball pan. I want the grease to drain away.


http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/...all-baker.aspx

I put them on a broiler pan and broil them until they are not pink. Turn them, and broil them on the other side. Then I place them in Spaghetti sauce and simmer them for an hour or so. The trick is to not let them brown under the broiler or they will not soak up the deliciousness of the sauce ;)

I bake them on my broiler pan so the fat drains off, usually I make extras and freeze those from this point and drop the rest in the sauce. I make mine more in the 2 inch range, mostly so cause I don't want to take the time to make mini meatballs.

I bake them in the oven in a cast iron pan. Edie

Cook them on the stove top in a fry'n pan (no oils added). Toss them all (including the drippings from the fry'n pan) in to marinara sauce :)

I browned them than bake for 30 minutes or so!

I usually put mine in those suction bags six to a sleve 3 on each side--I don't cook them until ready to use. When ready I defrost them and put parchment paper on my cookie sheet and back the or you can use a rack-when they are browned I then put them in the sauce for about 20 mins to 30 mins-I also do this with sausage but I piece the skin before baking them.

I use very lean meat and drop them raw into the sauce to cook. I make them about 1 1/2 inch diameter. They are very flavorful this way and add flavor to the sauce also.

Yep, this is how I make mine. My parents were born, raised, and married in Italy before they moved here.
My mom never heard of baking them and then placing them in the sauce. That is where all the flavor comes from by dropping them in raw. Yes, the grease comes to the top and we skim it off with no problem.

I put them on a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with olive oil and bake them, then drain away all the fat.

I bake mine till done, then put them flat in freezer bags till frozen all the way so they don't stick together, and then I can move the bags around and not worry that I'll have a GIANT "monkey" frozen meatball (like monkey bread) LOL.

This is how I do mine also. Use a crockpot and simmer all day.

I buy mine in a large bag from Sam's. How sad is that?

Wow...I may try that! Not sad at all!

Make my meatballs a about 2" Put them in a lg cast iron fry pan in oven on 400 to brown turning as needed ( I have to do this a few times for my lg batches). Then freeze what I am not using that day. I finish off the cooking in the sauce. When I make meatballs I usually make up about 10 lbs of meat. I freeze in 1 layer diffeerent size bags so they are a quick easy meal at other times.

This is the way I do it too. Come out soooo good :D

I am married to a Sicilian. and his mother taught me to make them and put on a rack in the oven with a 1/2 cup beef broth in the bottom and cook for about 30 min, then put it all in the sauce. I use three kinds of meat. beef ,pork and veal.

Around here, meatballs fall into the fast food category. Whenever we're out, I make about 5 pounds of ground meat into small meatballs. I have all kinds of different flavourings, and they all get baked, frozen individually, then put into freezer bags for quick additions to meals.

I just bake them on a parchment-covered cookie sheet.

I've never done it this way, have either fried or baked them first. I will definitely try it this way next time.

i don't have that kind of time. i buy the frozen meatballs at sams, then i put them in a watered down sauce in my preasure cooker and cook 15 mins. then take the lid off add the rest of the sauce and simmer to thicken the sauce.the meat balls has the sauce and flavor throught-out. good eats.
phyllis nm

For the longest time I used to bake my meatballs. Then I tasted my friend Janet's meatballs. I never had such delicious meatballs. Now I just toss them into my sauce just like she does.

Yummy !!!!

In a pinch? not sad at all! HAhaha
Good to keep some on hand if you have the freezer room.



THANK YOU EVERYONE for your meat-a-ball insights. I'll try the in the cook-dirctly-in-the-sauce next time.

Again... many thanks.

wow, lots of great ideas

An important hint for cooking them in the sauce; bring the sauce to a boil then after you drop the meatballs in, lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 min. on low heat till meatballs are cooked. DO NOT STIR during this time or you will break the meatballs up and end up with meatsauce.

I cook my sauce for four hours. I bake my meatballs in the oven for 30 minutes and put them in the sauce 30 minutes before the sauce is finished. I also put some mild Italian Sausage in the sauce, usually about 6 links. It gives the sauce a good flavor. I cook it in the microwave for about 2 minutes, maybe less, check it. Then I put it in the sauce. Can't cook it too long because it cooks in the sauce. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

That's how I do mine too, works great!

I make my cuban style. I put in the ground beef onion, garlic, salt orgeno and comin, one egg and the bread that comes in the can in little pieces, I put every thing together later we do it in two ways either fry them first or we just place them in a pan, then we add tomato sauce, oregano cumin garlic salt wine red peppers and some people add tabasco sauce (not me) some times I add potatoes cut in little squares or not ah dont forget the olives. when the sauce is thick is cooked we also use them fried as meat ball for the spagetties, but we like to use the white rice with them

I like to bake mine.