Saturday Night Meatballs
Makes 15 meatballs.
From “My Harvest Kitchen: 100+ Recipes to Savor the Seasons” by Gesine Bullock-Prado, who writes: “I love a tender meatball. I’m also terrible at keeping track of what I don’t have in the fridge. For instance, I will be convinced that I still have ground pork in the meat drawer, and I cannot imagine a day where there isn’t a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano hiding somewhere. But often, my best-laid dinner plans are almost thwarted when I realize none of those things exists within the confines of my fridge. So, I do what Americans do: I improvise. And, sometimes, I end up with a really happy accident. That’s exactly how my Saturday Night Meatballs came to be. This is now my go-to recipe, and it’s deliciously inauthentic. You can swap in Parmesan for the Cheddar if that’s what you have (or what you want to use), and feel free to just use beef. This is your Saturday night, after all." (Countryman, 2025)
- 2 c. ½-inch-cubed stale white bread
- ¼ c. whole milk
- ¼ c. chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ c. fresh oregano leaves
- 1 c. finely shredded sharp Cheddar
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 lb. 80/20 ground beef
- 1 lb. ground pork
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Marinara or pomodoro sauce, for serving
Directions
Combine the bread, milk and chicken stock in a large bowl. Toss to coat the bread. Stir in the eggs, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and Cheddar cheese. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Break up the ground beef and ground pork, add to the bread mixture, then add the cooled onion. Use your fingers to gently combine the ingredients. The mixture will be mushy. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture from the bowl, then cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven preheats, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the reserved tablespoon of meatball mixture as a little test patty to check for seasoning.
Line a half sheet pan with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Using a 2¼-inch cookie scoop, scoop mounds of meatball mixture onto the prepared sheet pan, three to a row, five rows total.
Bake the meatballs for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees with a digital thermometer. Serve with the marinara or pomodoro sauce of your choice.
