Meatloaf Meatballs with Parmesan Polenta
This recipe transforms basic ingredients into a savory, multi-dimensional meal. A mix of pork and beef combine with oats to form a meatball with incredible texture. Pockets of onion, celery, and garlic deepen the flavor while an elevated ketchup sauce glazes the meatballs. A creamy bed of polenta made with Parmesan cheese and butter finishes off the dish. Flexible for leftovers, this meatloaf meatball will become a staple in no time.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup beef stock
For the sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 ½ tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
For the polenta
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup polenta
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Once hot, add the onion, celery, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Sauté until the onion and celery are soft and tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the thyme. Set the mixture aside to cool.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, quick-cooking oats, whisked eggs, salt, black pepper, beef stock, and cooled onion mixture. Mix together until it is well combined.1 lb ground pork, 1 lb ground beef, 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ¾ cup beef stock
- Portion ¼ cup meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place them in the preheated 350°F oven to roast.
- While roasting, in a small saucepan, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 minutes and remove from the heat.¾ cup ketchup, 1 ½ tbsp light brown sugar, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- After the meatballs have baked for 20 minutes, remove them from the oven. Brush each one with the prepared ketchup glaze. Return the meatballs to the oven to finish roasting until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F, 15-20 minutes. Serve with the Parmesan polenta.
For the polenta
- In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the salt. While whisking, slowly pour in the polenta. Add the heavy cream and continue stirring until the polenta has soaked up the water and cream and the bubbles become slow and thick, 6-10 minutes. Remove from the heat.4 cups water, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 cup polenta, ½ cup heavy cream
- Add Parmesan cheese, butter, and black pepper. Stir to incorporate and serve immediately.4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Video
Notes
Beating the eggs before they are added allows them to combine better with the other ingredients. That way, you're not trying to break up the yolks while also mixing the meat together.
Ensure the meat mixture is well-combined. Each element brings a different flavor to the dish, and that should be consistent throughout. Otherwise, there could be pockets of excess ingredients within the meatballs.
Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It takes a little bit more work to grate the cheese, but it creates a noticeable difference from pre-grated cheese, enhancing the polenta it's used in.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (includes polenta) | Calories: 601kcal