I guess you could say I was spoiled when it came to food while I was growing up. My family on my mom’s side is pretty Italian and we always had amazing food. That’s probably why I tend to be a food snob when it comes to Italian food – especially in a Midwestern community where good Italian food is hard to come by. The hardest thing to find around here is a good meatball.
This particular meatball recipe has been passed down from my Grandfather, to my mother and now to me. It’s not much of a recipe since I was told, “just add the spices and stuff until it smells right.” So I did that, and I think I did my very best to make the meatballs “just like Grandpop does”. It’s pretty hard for me to get things exactly the same without measurements so I have practiced measuring out the ingredients for you (and me). And, now you can make Grandpop’s meatballs too. Trust me, they’re the best meatballs in the world.
To make traditional spaghetti and meatballs, just make a double batch of my Quick & Easy Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce. Then once the meatballs are done baking, drop them into the sauce and simmer it for as long as you have time. This infuses the sauce with the flavor of the meatballs. (Typically we add spare ribs too, but sometimes I have trouble finding them). The recipe does make a decent amount of meatballs, but if we have any left over we either make meatball sandwiches or freeze them. Same goes for the sauce because you will have enough to make at least two pounds of spaghetti.
Grandpop’s Meatballs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 -16
Ingredients
- 1 6-inch piece of crusty bread
- 1 – 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 pound ground round (or lean ground beef)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese (parmesan cheese can be substituted)
- 3 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak bread in milk until completely soft.
- Drain any excess milk.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with a fork (or your hands).
- Once everything is combined, roll into 2 inch meatballs.
- Place on a parchement-lined baking sheet *affiliate link and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 0
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
8 Comments
Erin
September 4, 2013 at 7:47 pmYum this sounds amazing!!! I will have to give it a whirl!
Melissa Belanger
September 4, 2013 at 10:11 pmYes you should try it! Let me know how it goes (and call me if you need help!). xo
pocketfulofchocolate
September 5, 2013 at 6:50 pmLooks delicious—I’ve been searching for a great meatball recipe! Do you crumble the bread before soaking it in milk?
Melissa Belanger
September 5, 2013 at 6:53 pmYou don’t have to crumble the bread before putting it in the milk, but sometimes I break it up into pieces so more of it is exposed to the milk. As long as the bread is submerged in the bread, you’re good. I hope you like them!
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Coty and Mariah
September 6, 2013 at 10:56 pmThese meatballs look amazing! Thanks for the recipe:)
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