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Easy and delicious and ready in just about 30 minutes, these Homemade Parmesan Meatballs are the start of a great weeknight meal.
It’s amusing to me how many ways there are to make the “perfect” meatball. I have three or four different meatball recipes on this site. It seems though, that each recipe is better than the last, or at least that’s how my children seem to feel. Even my practically vegan daughter offered up a “these are pretty good,” at first bite.
Meatballs are one of those super comforting, tastes complicated but are really easy to make kind of foods. This recipe has only 6 simple main ingredients – ground beef, garlic, breadcrumbs, spaghetti sauce (the jarred kind – or you can use my easy marinara recipe), cheese and Italian seasoning. Ok, 7 if you count that there are 2 kinds of cheese.
The meat is gently mixed with your hands then formed into balls. You can bake them on a separate sheet pan, or bake them right in the skillet like I did to make this a truly one pan dish.
Cover the skillet with foil, and place meatballs in an even layer, close together but not touching. Bake them for about 12-14 minutes. Once they come out of the oven you’ll want to carefully lift one one corner of the foil and move the meatballs from the foil to the pan, while pulling up the foil on each side to keep the juices inside. If this makes you nervous, use a rimmed, foil-covered sheet pan for baking, then transfer the meatballs to the skillet. Using tongs, fold up the foil completely and let cool on a paper plate before tossing in the trash.
Finally add some sauce and cheese to the pan. I used a little over a cup because my kids aren’t huge fans of the sauce lately…but for a saucier dish, use 2 cups or even more of the sauce.
I served the meatballs with some olive oil pasta and a big, green salad. You could also serve as sandwiches on french rolls or just with breadsticks or garlic bread.
Easy Homemade Parmesan Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef I use 85/15
- 1/4 cup fresh finely shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce any brand
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic or 3 cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1-2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1/2 fresh shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh finely shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian Parsley roughly chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cover a 12-inch, oven proof skillet (such as cast iron), or a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and set aside.
- Gently mix together meat, ¼ cup Parmesan, ¼ cup spaghetti sauce, Panko, garlic and Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Form meat mixture into even-sized balls (I like to use an ice cream scoop). Place in the foil covered skillet or sheet pan close together but not touching. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
- Remove skillet from the oven. Carefully lift a corner of the foil with tongs to keep the dripping in the foil and transfer meatballs from the foil to the pan. If using a sheet pan, simply transfer to the skillet.
- Pour 1-2 cups spaghetti sauce over and around the meatball, depending on how saucey you want them to be. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the meatballs, then Mozzarella, then parsley.
- Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until sauce is hot and cheese is completely melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of "Yellow Bliss Road" is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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We looooved this. AND, I made it a bit healthier (keto-wise)…with turkey and left out Penko breadcrumbs…sauce for fam but not me…and it was a dream. The meatballs were tender and flavorful and just perfect with garlic bread and a big salad—-just like you suggested. Once again, you saved the night. Easy and delicious!
That’s awesome Caroline! Fantastic feedback! Thanks for stopping by.
Yummy!! I love meatballs. Can’t wait to try this recipe!!