Author Notes
My grandmother was an amazing cook. She never let any of her children into the kitchen when they were growing up; and it was only when we grandchildren came along that she allowed anyone to linger at her apron strings. When she passed away in 2009 we were finally granted access to her recipes (which we had only seen a select few of while she was still with us). Now, whenever I'm missing her, this is the recipe I turn to because it makes the whole house smell like her kitchen did so many years ago.
There are two ways to prepare these meatballs, but both methods yield the same finished product; use whichever you feel most comfortable with. —Ashley
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Ingredients
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1 pound
ground beef, defrosted
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1
egg
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1 handful
breadcrumbs
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2-3 dashes
dried diced onions
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1 dash
minced garlic
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1/4 cup
grated parmesan cheese
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1-2
jars (or equivalent measure) tomato sauce
Directions
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In a large bowl, mix raw meat, egg, bread crumbs, spices and parmesan cheese with your hands. Pinch off enough meat to make a meatball that is roughly one inch in diameter. Roll into ball shape, repeat until all meat is in delicious ball form.
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The Roberta Method: In a large pot, empty jars of sauce. Place raw meatballs into the sauce and simmer over low heat for at least 4 hours or until suppertime. (If you're preparing this ahead of time, which Roberta almost always did, set up the sauce and meatballs in the morning and simmer all day). Serve over the pasta of your choice!
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The Diane Method: My mother was never comfortable putting the meatballs in the sauce when they were still raw. She always baked them for 10 minutes in a 375F oven, then put them into the sauce and simmered for about an hour (or until dinnertime). Stir occasionally, serve over the pasta of your choice!
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