The Best Homemade Meatballs

by Julie Hasson and Judith Fertig

Makes 100 meatballs
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes

A three-meat combo gives these morsels great flavor and texture. Their made-from-scratch appeal is boosted even more when you grind your own meat at home, which is amazingly easy and fast in a food processor (see the tip below). On busy evenings, make-ahead meatballs are a great base for quick and easy dinners like Meatball Minestrone or Spaghetti (Squash) and Meatballs.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
3 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons dried Italian herb seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fine or panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients until well incorporated. Try not to overmix.
Pinch off a teaspoon or so of the meat mixture and gently roll it into a 1-inch ball. Repeat, arranging the balls 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake the meatballs until lightly browned and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Eat 'em right away: Toss warm meatballs with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve them on toasted sandwich rolls with a side of coleslaw.

Freeze 'em for later: Arrange cooled meatballs evenly spaced on a baking sheet and freeze them for 20 minutes. Transfer them to ziplock freezer bags and store them for up to three months.