These are my all-time favorite meatballs. They are easy to make, full of flavor, and perfect for any occasion.
I’ve made these meatballs for small dinner parties, potluck events, big Christmas parties, and countless family events. They are great on their own, on a roll, over pasta, or served with roasted potatoes. I love the simple prep and setting them in the crockpot- you leave them to cook for hours and they maintain their juiciness. No dry meatballs!
The most important thing is to brown the meatballs on both sides. Just broil them in the oven to give them a bit of a crust so they don’t fall apart in the crock pot. Also, roll the meatballs gently so the meat doesn’t become tough!
These meatballs can be frozen after they’ve been broiled and cooled. I like to make a batch and freeze them into servings of 4 so we can have them for dinner and lunch the next day. So simple!
I hope you enjoy them!
My Favorite Meatballs
Notes
If you want to freeze them for later, I suggest broiling them first, letting them cool, then freezing them in the amounts you need.
If you’re gluten free, you can sub gluten free breadcrumbs.
If you’re THM, you can toast sprouted bread, break it up in the food processor, and add 1/2tsp Italian seasoning for a crossover. To keep the meatballs an S, use dusted pork rinds with 1/2tsp Italian seasoning. The texture isn’t quite the same but it’s pretty close!
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1/2C milk
- 2lbs ground beef 80/20
- 1lb ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 1 1/4C Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/3C fresh grated parmesan
- 1/2tsp garlic powder
- 1Tbsp salt
- 1/2tsp pepper
- Plus 2 (24oz) jars pasta sauce (I like Barilla)
Instructions
- 1. Whisk up the eggs. Then add the milk and seasonings.
- 2. Add the beef and sausage by breaking them up into small bits so they are mixed evenly. Mix into egg mixture.
- 3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan over the mixture and combine with your hands. You want to mix gently. Don’t overwork the meat.
- 4. Turn the broiler to high. While the broiler is heating up, roll about 40 meatballs and place on 2 greased baking sheets. Roll gently- again, you don’t want to overpack the meat. Roll enough that the meatballs keep their shape, but not so tight that they don’t get juicy.
- 5. Broil the meatballs for 4 minutes on each side. Pull out of the oven to flip and broil another 4 minutes on the other side. Be careful not to burn yourself!
- 6. Place meatballs in the crock pot with the pasta sauce in layers so each meatball has some sauce on it. Cook on low for 4 hours.