Italian Meatballs

I love to make my own Italian meatballs to have handy for subs or spaghetti. I make a large batch, freeze them and store them in zip-top bags. (BTW- sorry for the fuzzy picture.)

I don't really have a "recipe" for these, so you may have to adjust some of the amounts to suit your tastes.

Italian Meatballs

1 Lb. Ground Beef

1 C. Bread Crumbs

1 Egg

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley

1 tsp. Dried Basil

1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 C Ricotta Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and, using your hands to 'mush', mix well. Measure out equal amounts of mixture to make inch and a half meatballs using one of the following methods:

1. Pat mixture out to 1 & 1/2 inch thick flat square on a cutting board. Cut vertically and horizontally to create equal cubes. Roll each cube into a ball.

2. Use a small kitchen scoop.

3. Use a tablespoon to scoop out mixture and roll into balls.

Place each meatball onto a baking sheet. They do not need to be spread out like cookies, but they should not be touching. Bake 25 minutes or until internal temp is 175 degrees. Remove from oven. Add to your favorite marinara sauce and serve on hoagie buns or hot dog buns topped with mozzarella or provolone cheese.

TIPS:

~Place finished sandwiches under the broiler to melt the cheese and toast the buns.

~To freeze, cool meatballs completely. Place cooled meatballs on a tray and freeze at least 1 hour. Place frozen meatballs in zip-top bag.

~You can also fill a zip-top bag with meatballs and sauce, cool and then freeze.

~These are GREAT in spaghetti, too!