Add nutmeg (1 tsp) & some ground fennel seed (2 tsps) to the "elderly neighbor ... from Italy" recipe to make it like my Italian grandmother did

The key to my Mom's good meatballs is the grinding of the meat. She made some at Thanksgiving without grinding finely, and they were nothing like normal. She bought her meat at a butcher shop, asked for 1 lb ground beef, 1/4 lb veal (optional), and 1/2 lb pork, ground finely twice.

To this meatloaf mixture she added:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c milk
1/2 c grated onion
1/2 c bread crumbs (italian seasoned ones are ok)
salt and pepper to taste.

I haven't tried grinding just beef finely twice. I usually add a little more to the mixture, like ketchup and garlic. For Swedish meatballs, the nutmeg and other spices may be added.

Place meatballs on cookie pan. Bake 375 F 20-30 min or until browned. freeze until needed. Use with spaghetti sauce or canned gravy (or other sauce of choice). Heat meatballs in sauce 1/2 hour on simmer (finishes the cooking).

I don't know whether you mean cocktail type sauce for meatballs or a marinara type sauce for meatballs with pasta or perhaps Swedish meatballs, but this holiday season I used this recipe for a simple, quick sauce, and heated it in the small crock pot with frozen pre-cooked "Homestyle" meatballs (which I cooked in the microwave according the package to speed things up). They all quickly disappeared:

Four ingredient cocktail sauce for meatball or little weiners

1 (8 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce

3/4 cup chili sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

These were offered as snack food along with a veggie tray, cheese and crackers, grapes, Christmas cookies, fudge, etc. while the family was gathered waiting for some of us to arrive and for the main meal to be served. I was afraid they'd ruin their appetites, but you can't over-estimate these appetites!

When I make my own meatballs, a trick I learned from a newspaper recipe one time that I find very handy is to pat out the meat mixture to about a 1 1/2" thickness into a rectangle, and then use a large knife to cut a grid. This helps you to make even sized meatballs quickly, and nobody minds if you just leave them square.

I used the typical recipe and put a mozzarella pearl in the center,, theses recipes do sound good .. Yummy

I used the typical recipe and put a mozzarella pearl in the center,, theses recipes do sound good .. Yummy

I always provide meatballs and sauce for our many potlucks, etc. Because I also teach and take care of my aging parents, etc., I've learned how to do them fast and easy without sacrificing flavor. My measurements aren't exact, but from all the other foregoing recipies, you can get close, I'm sure. By the way, the reason I always provide the meatballs is that folks ask for them, so be assured they're pretty good.

1-2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
1 tube Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
2 tsp Fennel seeds
2-3 tsp garlic powder
2-3 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
salt, pepper
1+ cup of Progresso seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs

Mix above by hand. If too sticky when forming 1 to 1-1/2" balls, add a little more breadcrumbs. Arrange balls on a cookie sheet with a little bit of space between. Bake uncovered in 350-degree oven until slightly browned. When cooled, store in zip bags and freeze. Or place in marinara sauce or the sweet/sour mix of 1 can jellied cranberry sauce mixed with one jar/bottle of chili sauce (Heinz or some such).

If you're taking to potluck, just place the meatballs in a crockpot, add whichever sauce you choose and serve thoroughly warmed. Important note: Take at least twice as much as your initial inclination tells you. Likely, they'll still be all gone before the event's over.

Enjoy!

You're more than welcome to try our recipe:

1 bag of meatballs from Walmart, or 1/2 bag from Costco
9oz BBQ sauce, whatever you prefer
9oz Grape jelly

Place it all in your slow cooker (4qt will hold it all), turn on low and let sit all day. You can do it in about 4 hours, but the longer they marinate, the better they taste.