Easy Italian-style Meatballs
By Elizabeth Ciobanu ·
Bring spaghetti night to another level with these easy, super-delicious meatballs. Everyone will be begging you to make them again!
Kick spaghetti night up a gear with these easy, super-delicious meatballs. Everyone will be begging you to make them again!
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 0.5 lb Italian sausage
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups (2-3 slices) bread, cut into small cubes, or 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or an equivalent amount of oregano, basil, and thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Remove crusts from the bread slices and chop into small cubes. Soak bread in 1/4 cup milk for 5-10 minutes. Once the bread has softened, mash it up into small pieces.
- Mix together the soaked bread crumbs, ground beef, Italian sausage, eggs, parmesan cheese, and spices until thoroughly combined. Don't over-mix.
- Form into 1- to 2-inch balls and place on the foil-lined tray.
- Cook the meatballs in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. One-inch meatballs will take about 10 minutes to cook. Larger meatballs will take slightly longer.
Notes
- You can substitute ground pork for Italian sausage, but you'll lose some of the classic Italian flavor that comes with the sausage.
- You can substitute crushed saltine crackers for bread crumbs or cubed bread.
- I prefer smaller meatballs because they cook faster, you get more of them, and they're easier for kids to eat without cutting them up. They also mix in better on a plate of spaghetti. You can make these any size you want and adjust cooking times accordingly.