Tasty Tues: Hey Meatball, Meatball Italiano {Recipe Files}

Gotta love Dean Martin..... SWOOON!

When C and I started dating [three years ago eek] we realized our 

mutual love of good food and cooking. 

Many weekends were spent trying new recipes and restaurants.

One weekend, I told him "I wanted to learn to make meatballs"

and he said okay, let's try em out. 

I googled Rachel Ray and Giada and found two recpies

that seemed easy enough. 

One called for pasta, which neither of us wanted,

so we just adapted the two of them together

an VOILA, a NEW favorite meal was born.

We've been making this meatball recipe forever,

and probably eat it at least three/four times a month.

It's seriously THAT good, and actually extremley healthy

if you watch the sauce amount and exclude the pasta

[which we do 99.9% of the time].

I finally found the time to take pictures,

while cooking them last week

so I thought I'd share it with you today.

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Adapted from THIS recipe

What You'll Need

1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated Romano
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Box of pasta, if desired
Spaghetti sauce, if desired

Cooking Utensils Needed

Large mixing bowl

One or two skillets/sautee pans

[Baking sheet if your pans can't go into the oven]

Pot for Spaghetti sauce

Pot for Spaghetti noodles [if you want, we don't make pasta with this dish]

Before we get started, let me mention a few alterations that I use.

* I usually double the recipe as my husband is a hungry dude!

* I will mix up the meat needed, depending on what's on sale and how healthy we are eating at the time. For this recipe we used one pound of ground bison and one pound of sausage.

* Sometimes we add more cheese than mentioned, it's pretty much to taste.

* I have found that dried parsley and fresh parsley taste the same, your choice.

* Wine is optional, but delicious :)!

1] Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2] Mix with your hands until all ingredients are combined.

DON'T OVER MIX! It will make the meatballs tough.

3] Once everything is combined, start to roll the meatballs. I like to make them about the size of a golf ball or a bit larger in size. After you have rolled them between your hands into a circle shape, gently roll them in the flour.

4] Put a tablespoon or two in each pan to coat the bottom and place meatballs in the pans. Once they are in the pan, turn the stove top onto medium/medium high heat. 

5] If you are making your own sauce, now would be the time start sauteing the veggies. If you are adding pasta, now would be the time to start boiling the water.

6] Cook about four minutes until the bottom side starts to brown. You don't want the bottom to burn, but you also don't want to turn the meatball more than once.

7] About three minutes after you turn the meatballs, you'll need to put them in the oven. Since we cook with cast iron skillets, we just put the skillets in the oven. If you don't cook with cast iron, you will need to transfer them to a baking sheet. Bake for about five to eight more minutes.

You'll want to make sure they are cooked all the way through, especially if you are using chicken, turkey or sausage. Adjust the cooking time until the meat is completely cooked.

9] Once everything is cooked, combine everything into a bowl or plate.
Enjoy, devour and inhale your delicious creation :)!

I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you try this recipe out!

Linking up again for

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My cheer from yesterday was a moment, not a picture. 

I was reading a really good book, 
while drinking hot cocoa,
while Christmas music played in the background.

It's the little moments I tell you :)!