Grandma's Authentic Italian Meatballs and Sauce

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: pecorino cheese

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground chicken is often cheaper.

bread crumbs

🥗Healthier: oats

💰Cheaper: crushed crackers

Oats provide fiber and are often less expensive.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Vegetable oil is cheaper and has a neutral flavor.

Break up 2 lbs of chopped meat in a bowl.

Add 1 egg to the meat; if it looks dry, add a second egg.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Add 3 cloves of garlic, minced.

Add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix all together.

If the mixture is too dry, add a little water or crushed tomatoes to help mix.

Use Chento tomato sauce for flavor, adding spoonfuls as needed until the mixture is ready to form meatballs.

In a large skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to cover the bottom and heat it up.

Once the pan is hot, roll the meat mixture into meatballs and place them in the hot oil.

Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them as needed.

Once browned, remove the meatballs and place them in a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan.

Add 2 cloves of garlic to the pan and sauté until brown.

Lower the heat and carefully add the crushed tomatoes to the pan, being cautious of splattering oil.

To get the remaining tomatoes out of the can, add a little water, swish it around, and add it to the pan.

Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes to the sauce since 2 lbs of meat was used.

Add 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to the sauce and mix well.

Once the sauce is bubbling, lower the heat and add the meatballs back into the sauce.

Let the meatballs cook in the sauce for about 30 minutes, ensuring they are covered with the sauce.

Serve the meatballs with pasta and garnish with fresh basil.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens