Cooking With Karen: Barefoot Contessa's Delicious Meatballs

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork is often less expensive.

bread crumbs

🥗Healthier: oats

💰Cheaper: crushed crackers

Oats provide fiber and are a healthier alternative.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated cheddar

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds a cheesy flavor.

egg

🥗Healthier: flaxseed meal

💰Cheaper: applesauce

Flaxseed meal acts as a binder and is plant-based.

In a bowl, combine 1 pound of ground beef, Parmesan cheese, Italian breadcrumbs, minced garlic, flat-leaf parsley, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 beaten egg, and 1/2 cup of warm water.

Mix all the ingredients together to form the meatball mixture.

Shape the mixture into meatballs and brown them in a pan.

Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the pan and dump out the oil.

Add olive oil to the pan and then add 1 diced onion.

Cook the onion until softened, then add 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

Pour in 1/2 cup of red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom.

Stir in tomato sauce, mixing it with the garlic, wine, and onion.

Add more flat-leaf parsley, salt, and pepper to the sauce and stir everything together.

Return the browned meatballs to the sauce, ensuring they are coated.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 20 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Spice Level:

Allergens