Make-Ahead Meatballs
Pasta is always an easy win for the folks in my house! My kids love noodles of all shapes and sizes so I tend to keep a couple bags in my pantry at any time. There aren’t many nutritional components to traditional macaroni pasta, so I like to add in protein and veggies whenever possible. When I’m in a hurry I’ll simply brown some ground meat (ground chicken is a favorite in our house) and pour in a jar of spaghetti sauce with a heaping spoonful of pesto. @traderjoes has a fantastic kale pesto that my kids devour!
When I have a little extra time in my day, I love to make meatballs! Is there anything more iconic than a Lady & The Tramp style plate of spaghetti and meatballs? Every kid loves them! This recipe is delicious, simple and easy to make in bulk to save in your freezer for a quick weeknight dinner. I love finding ways to keep meal prep quick and uncomplicated!
Meatballs can be made using many different types of meat, but I prefer incorporating Italian Sausage because it is packed with flavor and saves me from having to add a lot of extra seasoning. You can switch up the dinner rotation by throwing these on a hoagie style bun with marinara and mozzarella for a meatball sub. Or add them to a soup! So many ways to use these make-ahead meatballs!
Make Ahead Meatball Recipe
Ingredients:- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 lb italian pork sausage
- 1 egg
- 1 slice bread, toasted (~½ cup bread crumbs)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sage or Italian dried herbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, evenly combine ground meats and egg. Set aside.
- Place toasted bread in a blender for 30-60 seconds or until chopped into fine bread crumbs.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Stir to mix evenly.
- Fold dry ingredients into the meat and egg mixture.
- Using cookie dough or ice cream scooper, form meatballs and place onto baking sheet. Meatballs should be approximately the size of a ping pong ball, yielding 2 dozen.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Allow cooked meatballs to completely cool before placing in a gallon-size freezer bag and freezing for future use.