Meatballs In Marinara Sauce

I have a way with meatballs. Mixing ground turkey with sauteed onion, spinach, mushrooms, toasted bread, and garlic makes a Meatball so light it almost floats off the plate. 

Maybe you like a more solid Meatball, then leave out the sauteed veggies and toast for a hefty Meatball. Make Meatballs your way - it's all good.

99c only Stores carry packaged fresh spinach, so it's a natural progression to blend the side dish into the entree -- combining sauteed spinach and Meatballs. If you have a favorite green then add that. You want to saute them until soft, so the Meatballs hold their shape better.

And mushrooms go with meat any day. I like sauteed musky mushrooms on my grilled steak and hamburger. Add any favorite sliced mushrooms.

Onions and garlic are cheap anytime. You can substitute with dried or powdered versions. 

I have a small patio garden with fresh herbs like basil, oregano, sage, and parsley. You can, again, use dried herbs or an Italian Herb Mix.

                        Click on any photo to see larger.

I finish the Meatballs with a canned tomato sauce. I made the sauce with crushed, whole, and plain tomato sauce. I simmer the Meatballs for at least an hour so the sauce breaks down while absorbing the Meatball flavorings. If you are using whole canned tomatoes, break them apart as the tomato sauce cooks.

The meat part is the expensive part. I can find little ground beef and turkey patties for a buck, not enough for a pot of meatballs. I find larger packages of ground pork for breakfast sausage for a dollar. One-pound packages of ground turkey and pork are usually cheaper than ground beef.  

For lighter Meatballs use ground turkey or chicken. Ground poultry is mushier so I sometimes add an egg to the mix to firm up the Meatballs, it's the same way I firm up my Homemade Meatloaf.

Add or subtract any of the above Meatball ingredients. I've made different versions and the Meatballs have all been tasty.  

Meatballs in Marinara Sauce - Video        Play it here, video runs 6 minutes, 19 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (serves 4 - 6)

• Ground Meat - 1 pound. Okay to use any favorite ground meat including pork, beef, veal, chicken, turkey, or a ground meat mix.
• Spinach - one bunch with most of the stems removed. Okay to use a 6-ounce package of spinach, or frozen spinach. If you have other favorite greens then use them.
• Mushrooms - sliced or chopped. 1 package, about 4 ounces, of any favorite mushrooms.
• 1 Onion - chopped.
• Garlic - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or from a jar. Okay to use dried garlic.
• Bread - 2 toasted slices. Break into small pieces to mix into ground meat and sauteed veggies.
• Italian Herbs - 1 teaspoon fresh or dried, including basil, oregano, sage, and parsley. For fresh herbs add 2 teaspoons.
• Milk - 1/4 cup, optional.
• Oil - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. One tablespoon to saute onion, and one tablespoon to saute Meatballs.
• Salt & Pepper - to taste, or about half a teaspoon total.

Marinara Sauce

• Red Wine - 1 cup, optional. Okay to use white wine or a favorite broth.
• Tomato Sauce - 24 oz. can of crushed, diced, or tomato sauce. I often use 2 small 16-ounce cans of tomato. If I am feeding extra guests then I will add one more small can of tomato sauce, water, wine, or broth - you can never have too much tomato sauce with meatballs.

Directions

In a large pan or pot saute onion for about 5  minutes in a tablespoon of oil until soft.

Add sliced or chopped mushrooms and saute until soft about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and herbs then saute another minute.

Wash the spinach and remove most of the stems. Add spinach and cover the pot to steam spinach to softness for a few minutes. Give them a stir as spinach cooks down.

In a large bowl mix ground meat, toasted bread, milk, and sauteed veggies. Salt and pepper to taste.

Form the meat mixture into Meatballs of any size you like (I like large ones,) and add to the heated pan with oil. 

Brown the Meatballs for about 5 minutes on each side. You may need to do it in a couple of batches depending on the size of your pan or pot. Partially covering the pan helps firm up the Meatballs by steaming, thus making them easier to turn without breaking apart. 

Add red wine (optional) and tomato sauce. Rinse out the tomato sauce can and add the water to the sauce. Okay to add an extra 8-ounce can of tomato sauce for more servings.

Cover and low-simmer Meatballs in the sauce for 1-2 hours until sauce is reduced by half. This is the kind of sauce you can keep warm for a few hours. If too watery then cook the sauce uncovered to thicken.

Add water or broth if the liquid cooks out too much. I like a thick sauce, but make it your way.

Serve Meatballs in Marinara Sauce over your favorite pasta. And you can build a perfect Meatball Submarine Sandwich with my recipe.

Hindsight

I like a lot of veggies in my Meatballs. I've made meatballs without spinach or mushrooms so use what veggies you have on hand - chopped carrot, celery, and bell pepper are other veggies to add. I use this same ground meat and veggie combo for a Loaded Homemade Meatloaf.

 It's okay to make more traditional Meatballs without added veggies. Just season ground meat and mix in a teaspoon of Italian herbs. Form the ground meat into Meatballs and brown them. Finish cooking with tomato sauce and wine. 

An extra flavor to add to Meatballs is a teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce.

Ground chicken and turkey can be mushy, so I will add a large egg into the mix so the Meatballs will firm up better.