Norwegian Meatballs

Norwegian Meatballs

MEATBALLS:
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2 lbs ground beef (95% lean)
1 lb ground pork

GRAVY:
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
3 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkt brown gravy mix

In a large bowl, combine the mayo, milk, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings.  Let stand until crumbs absorb the milk.  Add the beef and pork and stir until well blended.  Shape into 1-inch meatballs.  Place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.  Bake at 400^F until browned, about 18 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160^; drain.  Set aside.

For the gravy, in a large skillet, saute the onion in butter until tender.  Stir in flour and brown gravy mix and brown lightly.  Slowly add the broth; cook and stir until smooth and thickened.  Whisk in the sour cream until mixture is smooth and the sour cream is well incorporated.  Gently stir in the meatballs; heat through but do not boil.

Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

This was adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.  It was good, but next time I will increase the ginger, nutmeg and allspice to 1/2 tsp each and maybe add a pinch of dillweed.  I'll only use 3 Tbsp flour in the gravy.  And, I think I'll probably use heavy cream instead of the sour cream.

Creamy Garlic Meatballs

Creamy Garlic Meatballs

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

3-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 package (32 ounces) frozen fully cooked homestyle meatballs, thawed

Hot mashed potatoes

In a large saucepan, combine flour and soups. Stir in the water and

seasonings until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and

stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add meatballs; return to a

boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until

heated through. Serve over mashed potatoes. Yield: 8 servings.

OK...a bit bland in my opinion.  5/27/06

From Taste of Home's Quick Cooking Magazine, May/June issue

Mexican Meatball Soup

Mexican Meatball Soup

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup salsa
1-2 Tbsp water
1.5 lbs meatloaf mix (ground chuck + ground pork)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped chunky
1/2 small red onion, chopped chunky
1 packet taco seasoning mix
6 oz can tomato paste
1 carton beef broth
2 cups water (or more if needed)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can vacuum packed whole kernel corn
1/2 cup long grain rice

Combine crushed tortilla chips, Worcestrshire sauce, salsa, and 1-2 Tbsp water in a large bowl.  Allow to soak for about 5 minutes. 

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat.

Add the meat, salt, peppr, chili powder and cumin to the tortilla chip mixture and mix well.  Form into meatballs (about 18-20) and brown in the oil on all sides.  You'll have to do this in 2 batches because you don't want to crowd the meatballs.  Remove them to a plate and set aside.  It's OK if the meatballs aren't totally cooked through yet. 

Add the bell pepper and onions to the remaining oil (should only be a tablespoon or so if you used good lean meat - if not then drain of the excess oil!) and cook until the onions are translucent, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan.  Add about 1 cup water, the taco seasoning mix and the tomato paste and stir until well combined.  Stir in the beef broth and then add the meatballs gently back to the pot.  Gently stir in just enough water to cover the meatballs.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Add black beans, stir and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the corn and rice and simmer about 20 minutes or until the rice is done, stirring occasionally. 

Serve in bowls with diced avocado, crumbled queso fresco and a bit of chopped cilantro to garnish.  This soup is awesome!  We all loved it and I will be making this again!

This soup was inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest of a similar soup which I would love to try one day.  I had to make this heartier version or my husband would have accused me of starving him to death because the original recipe only had meatballs in broth.  Personally, I would love this with just the meatballs and broth. 

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Frozen meatballs (enough for 4 servings)
2 cups bell peppers cut into strips (I used red, yellow and green)
1 onion, chopped
8-oz can pineapple tidbits in juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup catsup
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce

Place the meatballs, peppers and onions in a large skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes or so. Drain off all but about 3/4 cup water and add the pinapple plus the juice. combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Stir into the meatballs and cook stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles. Serve over rice.

This sauce is equally good with chicken or pork.

Rigatoni Meatball Chili Supper

Rigatoni Meatball Chili Supper

1 (1-lb) pkg frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs
26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
16 oz can stewed tomatoes
15 oz can light red kidney beans
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
16 oz pkg rigatoni, cooked as directed on package

Place meatballs in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cook 10 minutes, drain. Return the meatballs to the pot, add the next 6 ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in the cooked rigatoni and serve hot.

Very good, very easy.

Spaghetti & Meatballs 5.19.09

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Frozen Meatballs (enough for 4-6 servings)
Water
1 jar (24-32 oz) spaghetti sauce (tonight I used Barilla Roasted Garlic)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (I used oregano & basil flavored)
1 handful of grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1/2-1 tsp dried oregano
1/2-1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch sugar

Cover the meatballs with water in a large pot and bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes. Drain. Combine the remaining ingredients in the pot until well blended. Add the meatballs and simmer for at least 1/2 hour. Serve over hot, cooked spaghetti.

This is my basic spaghetti sauce recipe and it's (imho) REALLY good! Since it tastes even better reheated, I often make a double batch and freeze half for another meal.

Golden Mushroom Meatball Pie 4.2.09

Golden Mushroom Meatball Pie

Frozen meatballs, enough to fill a pie shell in one even layer
Pie Crust (I use Pillsbury's Allready Pie Crusts)
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 can Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup sour cream
4 cups prepared mashed potatoes

Simmer the meatballs in the Low Sodium Beef Broth until the broth is reduced by half. In the meantime, line a pie dish or casserole with the pie crust. Drain the meatballs, reserving the broth and put them in the pie crust in a single layer. Add the can of soup and the sour cream to the broth and whisk until well combined. Pour over the meatballs and place the pie in a preheated 375^ oven for about 40 minutes or until the crust is browned. Remove from the oven and spoon (or pipe, if you want it to look really nice) the mashed potatoes over the top and return to the oven for about 10-15 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.

My opinion: Yum!