BAKED MEATBALLS

These easy homemade Baked Meatballs with fresh marinara are so much better than store-bought meatballs with a combination of ground beef, Italian sausage, panko breadcrumbs, fresh Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. The fresh marinara comes together quickly and tastes so much better than jarred.

My family just loves these meatballs and looks forward to this recipe. I love to serve them over spaghetti, pasta, or inside a meatball sub with mozzarella cheese. Or go low carb and enjoy them over Zucchini Noodles or Creamy Mashed Cauliflower. Use the baked meatball portion of the recipe for so many dishes like pizza, meatball soup, and meatball stuffed mushrooms.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Start by combining the Italian Sausage, ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, milk, Parmesan Cheese, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands just until combined. Then roll the meat mixture into a little over 1-inch meatballs. Place the raw meatballs on a baking sheet in a single layer with a little space between them. Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Then add the onion and cook until it is soft. Now reduce the heat and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, cooking for about 1 minute while stirring. Then add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Then stir in the fresh basil. Finally, add the baked meatballs to the marinara sauce and stir gently to combine. Simmer for a few minutes to combine all the flavors.

RECIPE NOTES AND HELPFUL TIPS

• Mix the meat mixture with a gentle hand and only until it is combined. Overmixing will make the meatballs dense and dry.
• Ground turkey, ground chicken, ground veal, or ground pork can be substituted for ground beef.
• Experiment with fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, basil, and Italian parsley. Or add 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning.
• Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to help with uniform size but roll the meatballs in your hands so they are round on all sides.
• Use parchment paper for super easy cleanup and even browning.
• Start the marinara a few minutes before loading the meatballs in the oven.
• Meatballs are done when they are cooked through, browned, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on low in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave at reduced heat.
• Flash-freeze the meatballs and then store them in a heavy-duty zipper freezer bag for up 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Read here to learn more about flash freezing.

HOW TO SHAPE ROUNDER MEATBALLS

Well, let’s be honest. These scrumptious meatballs are going to be eaten so fast that no one will notice minor flaws in the shapes. But every good cook wants their recipes to look aesthetically pleasing.

• Chill – mix the ingredients for the meatballs and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes up to 1 hour before rolling.
• Scoop – use a small cookie or ice cream scoop for even portioning but use your hands to roll them gently. Keep your hands very lightly moistened with cold water for smooth nonstick rolling.
• Chill again – after rolling the meatballs and placing them on the baking sheet, chill one more time in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Flip – carefully and gently turn the meatball several times while baking to ensure that the meatball does not come out with a flat spot. Don’t flip them all the way over. Maybe just a quarter of a turn several times.

• Cook Time: 30minutes minutes
• Servings: 40 meatballs
• Calories: 87kcal
• Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• 1 lb. Italian Sausage
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ¾ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• ½ onion minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup milk
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Marinara Sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ medium onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the Italian Sausage, ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, milk, Parmesan Cheese, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands just until combined.
3. Use a small cookie scoop for proper-size portioning. Roll them using your hands into a little over 1-inch meatballs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet as you roll them. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, approximately 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil. Add the baked meatballs to the marinara sauce and stir gently to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Notes

• Mix the meat mixture with a gentle hand and only until it is combined. Overmixing will make the meatballs dense and dry.
• Ground turkey, ground chicken, ground veal, or ground pork can be substituted for ground beef.
• Experiment with fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, basil, and Italian parsley. Or add 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning.
• Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to help with uniform size but roll the meatballs in your hands so they are round on all sides.
• Use parchment paper for super easy cleanup and even browning.
• Start the marinara a few minutes before loading the meatballs in the oven.
• Meatballs are done when cooked through, browned, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on low in a skillet on the stovetop or microwave at reduced heat.
• Flash-freeze the meatballs and store them in a heavy-duty zipper freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Read here to learn more about flash freezing.