Bonnies Meatballs Recipes

BONNIE'S ITALIAN STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• For the meatballs:
• Pour the milk over bread and soak to soften.
• Place the meat in a mixing bowl and add the cheese, EVOO, fennel, crushed red pepper, garlic, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and crumble into crumbs as you add it to the meat. Combine the meatball mix and roll into 2-inch balls. Place the meatballs on nonstick baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray and roast until browned but not fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes.
• For the stew:
• Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and bay, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant. Add the beef stock and tomatoes, then break up the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the basil, potatoes and meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to medium, partially cover and cook 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook 7 to 8 minutes more.
• Serve, or cool completely and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium-low flame, partially covered, stirring occasionally (or reheat in a 325 degree F oven) until sauce is bubbly.
• To serve, top shallow bowls of stew with cheese and an extra drizzle of EVOO.

BONNIE'S MEATBALLS AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Using a large mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup of milk to it and place a slice of bread in it, soak it up, then squeeze the milk out. Discard any remaining milk. Add the egg and beat slightly with a fork. Add the ground beef and the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
• Shape the mixture with your hands into walnut sized meat balls. (wet your hands if you need to) Heat some Canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and brown them all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Cover loosely with foil to keep them warm. Brown the meatballs in batches, don't crowd them in the pan. They should be a nice golden brown. After you have fried all the meatballs, measure out 2 tablespoons of grease, discard the rest, leaving the brown bits in the pan. Add the 2 tablespoons of grease back to the pan and make the gravy. Over medium heat, whisk the flour into the grease, let it cook one minute, then add the beef broth, milk, lemon zest, thyme, creamed horseradish and kitchen bouquet. Cook the gravy until it thickens. It will be sort of white. Add more salt if needed.
• Place the meatballs into a shallow casserole dish. Pour the gravy over the top of the meatballs, Bake uncovered for 25 minutes in a 350 degree, pre-heated oven until bubbling and the gravy turns brown. Serve hot and spooned over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles or steamed white rice. This is delicious! Enjoy!

BONNIE'S SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS (ITALIANO)

Steps:

• 1. MAKE THE SPAGHETTI SAUCE: In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until onion is light brown. Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, water, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano, Italian herbs, marjoram and bay leaf. Stir with a wooden spoon, and bring to a boil, then turn to simmer, cover the pot and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs.
• 2. MAKE THE MEATBALLS: Note: do not brown the meatballs! In a small bowl, place the wheat bread and the 1/4 cup of water, let it soak while you combine the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground beef, 2 eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, wine, garlic, minced onion flakes, salt and pepper, basil, oregano, and the baking soda, then add the wet bread to the meat, tearing it into tiny pieces. Mix very gently with your hands; DO NOT over mix, as it makes the meatballs tough. Dampen your hands to form the meatballs. Make balls about the size of a golf ball. The recipe should make 20 to 24 meatballs. Put them on a plate, cover and refrigerate while the sauce simmers.
• 3. COOK THE SPAGHETTI: Put on a large pot to boil water, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and salt. Cook it the way you like it. Some people like it al dente, others like it more done. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain, don't rinse, cover and keep hot until the meatballs have finished cooking.
• 4. COOKING THE MEATBALLS: When the sauce has simmered for one and one-half hours, then take a long handled spoon and carefully drop one meat ball at a time into the sauce. Do not disturb the meatballs or the sauce while it simmers uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir very gently to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pot, and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes more.
• 5. Cook's Tip: You can serve the spaghetti and meatballs in a pasta dish as my photo depicts. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese. We like red pepper flakes with ours. Keep out a few meatballs and sauce for great meatball sandwiches the next day! Enjoy!
• 6. Slow Cooker: I have also prepared this dish successfully in the slow cooker which runs a little hotter than a crockpot.

BONNIE'S ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• 1. Meatballs 101, Cook's Advice: Use a gentle hand when it comes to making meatballs. If you over mix them, they will be tough. For the most tender meatballs, mix the meat with the binder of milk and breadcrumbs and other ingredients just until everything is combined. Use a scoop to measure meatballs the same size. When making balls, don't pack them together too tightly, or they will cook up tough, rubbery, and chewy. Again, use a gentle hand when mixing and forming meatballs.
• 2. Lightly mix the meats, spices, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and cheese together.
• 3. Mix breadcrumbs with the milk. Add beaten eggs to the meat mixture.
• 4. Lightly mix by hand.
• 5. Forming the Meatballs: Using a 1 ½ inch or 2 inch scoop, make meatballs by scooping the mixture into your hand and gently forming a ball without packing the meat mixture.
• 6. Place the meatballs on the prepared pan.
• 7. Cooking the Meatballs: You can brown the meatballs on all sides in a heavy skillet, or you can use this oven method: Take a large sheet pan and line it with foil (reflective side up and they won't stick) and spray the pan with kitchen spray. Bake in a 375 oven about 30 minutes until the thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Do NOT overcook. Remember, some oven temps may vary.
• 8. These meatballs are delicious in soups or sauces. They don't fall apart.

MAMA'S OLD-FASHIONED ALBONDIGAS (MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• Pour water into a large stockpot over high heat. Stir in 3 cups tomato sauce, yellow onion, chicken bouillon, garlic, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring broth to a slow boil.
• Combine ground beef, eggs, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, white rice, 1/4 cup cilantro, seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cumin in a large bowl. Squeeze mixture with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
• Scoop 1/4 cup of beef mixture and form in a ball. Lower gently into boiling broth. Repeat with remaining beef mixture.
• Stir potatoes, carrots, and celery into the broth. Cover and simmer until meatballs and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cabbage. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with avocado and 1/4 cup cilantro.

BONNIE'S MEXICAN ALBONDIGAS SOUP (MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• 1. Make the meatballs first. In a large mixing bowl combine the lean ground beef, beaten egg, garlic, bread crumbs, pine nuts, salt and pepper and mix with your hands. I make a long rope of the beef on the cutting board about one inch high and then I cut slices about 1/2 inch wide. Take each slice and roll it into a meatball about one inch in diameter. This technique helps to have more uniform slices. Place all the balls in a bowl in the refrigerator.
• 2. Make the soup and add to a large soup pot, the tomatoes, beef broth, water, potatoes, carrots and onion. Add the chili powder, bay leaf, cilantro, salt. Mix well and bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender. You should see an orange ring begin to form around the pan from the chili powder. Add more if you like it hotter.
• 3. Add the meatballs a little at a time to the soup so it doesn't stop boiling, Don't boil on too high heat or it will tear up your meatballs. Simmer meatballs 30 minutes.
• 4. Add sherry before serving and stir gently. Put a dash of tobasco in each bowl before serving. Enjoy!
• 5. Cook's Tip: The original recipe I created was a clone of the restuarant's recipe, and it did NOT have carrots, onions and potatoes in it. It was a true meatball soup. I added those vegetables later to make a more hearty soup.