Festive Holiday Meatballs
A comforting holiday dish, these veal and beef meatballs are light yet rich, with ricotta, onion, and garlic for savory depth. Finished with a simple red sauce, they’re sure to be a seasonal favorite.
Servings: 8 meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground veal
- 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ medium onion grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion grated
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 6 leaves fresh basil
- 2 15-oz cans crushed tomatoes
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground veal, dried breadcrumbs, eggs, ricotta cheese, grated onion, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Mix the ingredients well to ensure all of the meat and ingredients are well combined with no pockets of non-incorporated ingredients.1 lb ground beef, 1 lb ground veal, 1 cup dried breadcrumbs, 2 large eggs, 1 cup ricotta cheese, ½ medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- Portion into 8 large meatballs and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil.2 tbsp olive oil
- Place the meatballs in the preheated 425℉ oven and roast until they are beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375℉ and bake until the internal temperature reaches 145℉, 18-24 minutes. While they are roasting and baking, prepare the sauce.
- Once the sauce is prepared and the meatballs are roasted, add the meatballs to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the meatballs and return them to the oven to finish roasting until the internal temperature reaches 160℉, 10-12 minutes. Once finished, remove the basil leaves, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.
For the sauce
- In a large oven-safe skillet or braiser, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the garlic is beginning to brown, 4-6 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low as needed to make sure the garlic doesn't burn.2 tbsp olive oil, ½ medium onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the red pepper flakes, black pepper, kosher salt, tomatoes, and basil. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.½ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 15-oz cans crushed tomatoes, 6 leaves fresh basil
Video
Notes
For this meatball recipe, grating the onion works better than chopping it. The onion should melt into the meatball, and the texture of finely grated onion works better for this purpose. Otherwise, the onion pieces may be too large and not cook fully, adding unwanted texture to each meatball.
Cottage cheese works well as a substitute for the ricotta. It may not be traditional in a meatball, but the tangy flavor still comes across well.
The meatball should be well mixed. If it is not, there could be pockets of ingredients that don't get evenly distributed, affecting the flavor and cooking of the meatball.
If you have a Parmesan cheese rind, use it in the sauce when the meatballs cook for the second time. It can be removed after they're finished cooking, providing immense flavor to the dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 455kcal