Tender Baked Meatballs

Tender baked meatballs made with the classic beef, pork, and veal blend. The panko-and-milk panade and grated onion keep them soft, and they are baked first, then finished in simmering tomato sauce. Makes about 20 meatballs; servings, active time, and nutrition are estimates.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_0iSojOQTa/

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb ground veal
• 1/2 large yellow sweet onion, grated
• 5 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano (plus more to serve, optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 egg, whisked
• 8 cups tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the panade: in a large bowl, mash the panko into the milk with the back of a fork until it has absorbed the milk and looks like baby food.
3. Add the ground beef, pork, and veal to the bowl.
4. Grate in the onion and garlic. Add the salt, pepper, cheese, parsley, and whisked egg.
5. Mix with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 3/4 inches across (about 20) and set them on the lined baking sheet.
7. Bake on the top third of the oven for 15 minutes.
8. While the meatballs bake, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer in a large pot.
9. Transfer the baked meatballs into the sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes to finish cooking.
10. Serve in the sauce, with extra grated cheese on top if you like.

Notes

• The panade keeps the meat from tightening up and turning dense.
• Grating the onion adds moisture without leaving chunks.
• Overmixing makes meatballs tough, so stop as soon as everything is combined.

Source & credit

Recipe by Ereka Vetrini, Instagram handle erekav: https://www.instagram.com/erekav/
Waivio profile: https://www.waivio.com/object/ereka-vetrini

Servings, calories, nutrition, and the 35-minute active time are estimates, based on about 5 servings of 4 meatballs with sauce.

Recipe: https://www.waivio.com/object/tender-baked-meatballs