Make-Ahead Meatballs

Name: Make-Ahead Meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5 batches (about 30 meatballs per batch).
Ingredients: 4 eggs, lightly beaten; 2 cups dry bread crumbs; 1/2 cup finely chopped onion; 1 tablespoon salt; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 4 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)

My husband and I have company often. Keeping a supply of these frozen meatballs on hand means I can easily prepare a quick, satisfying meal. I start with a versatile meatball mix that makes about 12 dozen meatballs, then freeze them in batches for future use. —Ruth Andrewson, Leavenworth, Washington

Ingredients

4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls, about 12 dozen.
Place meatballs on greased racks in shallow baking pans. Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning often; drain. Cool.
Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatballs in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Reheat on a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan in a preheated 350° oven until heated through.

Nutrition Facts

5 each: 139 calories, 6g fat (0 saturated fat), 22mg cholesterol, 357mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 14g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 meat, 2 lean meat, 1/2 starch.

Originally published as Make-Ahead Meatballs in Quick Cooking Premiere 1998

Reviews

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Average Rating:

angela32

Aug 4, 2016

I halved this recipe. Very good! After I cooked them in the oven, I put them in pasta sauce and let them simmer away.....delish.
motherofdogs

Feb 29, 2016

I made these for the first time. I used non-stick foil to line the baking sheets and did not use racks. They were easy to turn and because I used lean ground beef, there was no grease on the pan after baking. My husband suggests substituting a fraction of the ground beef with sausage next time. I added some garlic powder, but even with that, they were a little mild for our tastes. Maybe I'll use seasoned dry breadcrumbs next time. It's a versatile and easy recipe to customize.
pottercrbr

Nov 22, 2015

I cook from scratch for a large family due to food allergies. I like to plan and make ahead many items. This is my go to recipe for meatballs. I make them many times during the year and do add many of the suggested items that have been previously suggested. However, I form my meatballs with a scoop to make the all the same size and bake them on a broiler pan in the oven. This allows the grease to drip away during cooking. I also drain/cool them on paper towel and wax paper lined cooling rack before storing. My family loves them. Thank you to the person whom submitted this delicious recipe!!!
michelle4773

Jan 4, 2015

This is a great and EASY recipe!!! Along with everything above, I added some sage sausage, Italian herb spices, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and used garlic salt instead of regular salt. This is a FUN recipe to prepare. You can add whatever you like to spice it up. Thanks for posting this! I will definitely keep it :)
lstoltzfus

Oct 11, 2014

The original recipe for these in quick cooking has different things to do with them when you get them out of the freezer. I enjoy all of the adaptations: meatball sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs, Swedish meatballs and I am not sure of the final one, I lost that page. They are all good though.
jdc1975

Mar 8, 2014

How do you cook the frozen meatballs? Do they need to be thawed first?
Kris Countryman

Jul 1, 2013

I was unsure if we would like these since the recipe sounded bland; so I only made 1 pound. They were very easy and quite nice. I am a meatball lover but I do not love making them. This was easy. I think next time I will add a little allspice and perhaps a cream sauce to make them more like Swedish meatballs. Hubby like them too. I baked them on nonstick foil and the cleanup was simple.
chocolatecookies

Jun 13, 2013

These meatballs are great. I made these using the ingredients listed, but added about 1 teaspoon of dried parsley to a half recipe. Rather than baking them on racks, I lined my pan with foil and sprayed it with nonstick cooking spray. They baked just fine this way, and the cleanup was easy. Thanks for this recipe.
shell7293

Dec 17, 2012

Good and easy - nice to have in the freezer for last minute meals.
scrapo

Mar 27, 2011

Just made these yesterday so I could store them in the freezer for spaghetti & meatballs. Smelled great while making them. I did add a 1/2 t of italian seasoning (i only made 1/2 recipe) as I plan to use them solely for italian dishes.