Meatballs - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with (of all things to pair with Meatless Monday) meatballs. Check out the Steak 'N' Bacon Cheddar Meatballs, the Meatball Sandwich, and any of the other recipes in today's post. Enjoy!

CHICKEN-ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS WITH FETA

This is from Ali Slagle at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, "These meatballs harbor a secret: They’re half vegetable, half chicken. More than just a surprise, the grated zucchini provides moisture that ground chicken can lack. Roast more zucchini next to the meatballs on the sheet pan, then top everything with feta tossed with lemon juice. For an easy starch, add chickpeas to the feta, or toast bread or pita on the free rack in the oven."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021328-chicken-zucchini-meatballs-with-feta.

Ingredients

3 large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 large shallot, halved

1/2 cup panko

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, basil, parsley or dill, plus more for serving

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling

3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

4 ounces feta

Preparation

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut 2 of the zucchini into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a plate, season with salt, and set aside.

Working over a large bowl, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the remaining zucchini. Grate 1 shallot half into the bowl as well. Add the panko, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and use your hands to toss until combined. Add the chicken and herbs and toss gently until combined.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. With wet hands, form the chicken mixture into 16 meatballs (around 2 to 3 tablespoons each) and place them on one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat the sliced zucchini dry, then lightly coat with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with pepper.

Coarsely chop the remaining shallot half and transfer to a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, season with salt, and stir to combine.

Add the sliced zucchini to the other half of the baking sheet, moving the meatballs over, if necessary. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and the zucchini is golden on the underside, another 15 to 20 minutes. For more browned meatballs, broil for a few minutes, if desired.

Meanwhile, crumble the feta into the shallot mixture. Add the 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Stir, breaking up the feta a bit, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Eat the meatballs and zucchini with a drizzle of the feta sauce and more fresh herbs.

SLOW COOKER SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Is there anything that says Comfort Food more that Spaghetti and Meatballs? Not in my world! This version, which couldn't be easier, comes from Sarah DiGregorio in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sarah wrote, "Using a mixture of uncased sausage and ground beef is the trick to achieving tender, flavorful meatballs without a lot of work or extra ingredients. These three-inch meatballs are oversize, so they can stay moist and tender after cooking for an extended period. This way, they also fit in the slow cooker in one layer, which helps them cook evenly. Choose any kind of turkey sausage you like best; sweet or hot Italian are both great choices. (Pork will work too, but will make the sauce a little oily.) Fear not, the spaghetti is cooked separately, so you can serve these meatballs over any long noodle for a traditional take, or spoon them over polenta or tuck them into hero rolls."

Yield: 5 to 6 servings; Time: 4 1/2 hours

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020848-slow-cooker-spaghetti-and-meatballs.

Ingredients

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 tablespoons dry red wine

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 bunch)

4 ounces grated Parmesan (1 to 1 1/4 cups), plus more for serving

1/2 medium onion, coarsely grated (about 1/3 cup)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons whole milk

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound bulk fresh sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage

1 pound ground beef (10 to 20 percent fat)

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 sprigs fresh basil, plus more for serving

1 pound dried spaghetti, for serving

Preparation

In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste and red wine. In a bowl, stir together the panko, parsley, Parmesan, grated onion, eggs, milk, garlic, vinegar and red-pepper flakes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Add the sausage and ground beef to the panko mixture, and gently mix using your hands just until all the ingredients are uniformly combined. (Don’t overmix, or you’ll end up with tough meatballs.) Form the mixture into 7 (3-inch) gently packed meatballs, and place them in the slow cooker. (They should fit snugly in one layer.) Pour the crushed tomatoes all over the top of the meatballs, then add the basil sprigs to the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.

When ready to serve, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in boiling, salted water and drain. Increase the slow cooker heat to high. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs to a bowl. Discard the basil sprigs from the sauce. If there is more oil on the surface of the sauce than you’d like, use a ladle to skim it off and discard it. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs back to the slow cooker and stir gently to combine. Serve the spaghetti and meatballs with more grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves for topping.

STEAK ’N’ BACON CHEDDAR MEATBALLS

This is from Juila Moskin in The New York Times cooking email. Julia wrote, “This is essentially a bacon cheeseburger in meatball form. The cooked steak should be diced into small bites, not ground, for the best texture.”

Yield: About 2 dozen meatballs, 6 to 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in “Lucky to Be a Leftover” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, minced

Scant 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 pound cooked steak, diced

1 pound ground beef, 80% lean

6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

2 teaspoons salt

Black pepper

Preparation

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and bacon, and cook, stirring, until bacon has browned and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion and bacon to a plate and cool in refrigerator.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Use the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine steak, ground beef, cooled bacon and onions, cheese, eggs, bread crumbs and salt, and mix lightly but thoroughly by hand. To taste for seasoning, heat a small skillet and fry a chunk of the mixture until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roll mixture into golf-ball-size balls, packing firmly. Pack snugly into the prepared dish, making even rows to form a grid. Roast for 20 minutes, or until firm and cooked through. (The center should be at 165 degrees.)

Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

COMFORT MEATBALLS

This is from Ree Drummond of The Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman.

Total: 2 hr; Prep: 15 min; Inactive: 45 min; Cook: 1 hr; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/comfort-meatballs-recipe-2042533

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

3/4 cup quick oats

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons very finely minced onion

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Plenty of ground black pepper

4 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

4 to 6 tablespoons minced onion

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions

For the meatballs: In bowl, combine the ground beef and oats. Pour in the milk, and then add the onions, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls and refrigerate them for 30 to 45 minutes to firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge the meatballs in the flour, and then brown the meatballs in batches until light brown. As they brown, place them into a rectangular baking dish.

For the sauce: Stir together the ketchup, onions, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Drizzle the sauce evenly on the meatballs.

Bake until bubbly and hot, about 45 minutes.

MEATBALL SANDWICH

This is from Macrina Bakery's emailing list. The bakery, located in Seattle, is one of those places I wouldn't mind visiting, if I ever take a road trip. But since that road trip isn't in the near future, I'll stay on their Recipe of the Month emailing list.

The meatball sandwich recipe starts off with the following: "Meatball sandwiches are a fun way to shake up your weeknight dinner rotation. We play up the flavors in our Italian-style meatballs with a generous slather of pesto and toothsome slices of fresh mozzarella. Our Fresh Herb Roll is strong enough to hold in all of the juices while adding the earthiness of freshly picked herbs and coarse sea salt. Warning: This sandwich can be messy, but it is guaranteed to get a thumbs-up from the whole family!"

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1/2 cup day-old bread, trimmed of crust and diced into 1/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces ground turkey

8 ounces ground pork

2 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup

1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

1 large egg

For the sandwiches:

4 Macrina Fresh Herb Sandwich Rolls, 5 ounces each

1/4 cup pesto

12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 to 12 pieces

2 cups tomato sauce

Preparation

Makes 4 Sandwiches

Assembling the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the diced bread into a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the diced bread. Let the bread mixture stand and cool to room temperature. As it cools, the bread will absorb the milk.

In a skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Set aside.

Add the garlic, turkey, pork, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, basil, Parmesan and egg to the bread mixture. Use a spatula to thoroughly combine the ingredients.

Using a small ice cream scoop or your hands, form 12 golf ball-size meatballs. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Assembling the sandwiches:

Slice each roll lengthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush each half with the remaining olive oil and spread with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the bottom halves with 2 to 3 slices of mozzarella.

Warm the bread in the 400°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the tomato sauce.

Once the bread is removed from the oven, top each bottom half with three meatballs and ladle them with tomato sauce.

Enjoy these sandwiches with a side of mixed greens - and don’t forget a few napkins!

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings (about 2 cups each)

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

Book Title: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/italian-meatball-soup.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 egg whites

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

4 cloves garlic, minced, divided

3 tablespoons Italian seasoning, divided

Olive oil cooking spray

4 cans (15 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

2 cups green beans, diagonally cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

8 ounces thin spaghetti, uncooked, broken into 2-to 3-inch pieces

2 medium plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Mix ground turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning until well blended; shape mixture into 32 meatballs. Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Cook meatballs until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water, green beans, carrots, onions, remaining 2 cloves garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning to saucepan; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until vegetables are almost tender, about 8 minutes.

Heat soup to boiling; add pasta and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 270; Fat: 8.7 g; Sodium: 174 mg; Cholesterol: 31.7 mg; Protein: 19 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Bread, 2 Meat, 1/2 Fat