Homemade Meatballs

The thing I love most about these meatballs is that there is no fuss. I literally throw everything into a food processor, roll the meat balls and pop them into the oven! This recipe really is so versatile. I often use the same recipe for burgers too, by adjusting one or two ingredients you really could make anything out of this mixture.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Serves Two to Four people

Preheat Oven to 200 ̊ c

Ingredients:

1 punnet of lean beef mince (or any other preffered meat)

2 slices of bread

1 onion

1 Tbsp tomato paste

a handful of fresh parsley

1tsp (heaped) crushed garlic

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place the bread into the processor and blend until crumbs are formed.

In a large mixing bowl add the bread crumbs, parmesan, minced meat, tomato paste and egg.

Quarter the onion and place in the processor together with the parsley and garlic - blend until nicely chopped up. and add to the mince mixture.

Season well with salt and pepper.

(You can add any other seasoning here too - like chilli or other fresh herbs. If you are making burger patties, I suggest you add another egg, and spices like paprika, bbq spice, worcestershire sauce, tobasco etc.)

Now you need to get those hands dirty - you can mix with a spoon, but I find it much easier to use your hands.

Once you have mixed your ingredients through you can roll them into balls.

Size depends on what you are eating, if you are adding them to a pasta make them smaller, and if you are eating them by themselves slightly bigger and so forth.

Pack them into a greased oven proof dish.

Here is another step you can adjust to your own feel. You can either bake these in the oven as is, or you can pour a tin of chopped tomatoes over the top for a sauce, or that left over gravy you have stored in the back of your freezer.

Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes. Then pop the grill on for a further 10 minutes to get a little colour ontop.

Serve with pasta, mash potato, salad - anything you like. It's another great dish you can keep making but change so easily.

Enjoy!