Panko/Parm-Crusted Meatballs & Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
Homemade meals! Few things in life are better, right? Whether it was thanks to our mother, grandmother, or someone else's (grand)parent, most of us are lucky enough to have experienced some form of one of the classics: Homemade Meatballs!
While many of us smile wistfully at the memories of such dishes, we at Big Horn would like to empower YOU to cook this one yourself. While we'll leave creating wonderfulfamily memories up to you & yours, we'll cover the recipe for meatballs tasty enough to leave a lasting impression.
These meatballs are super juicy on the inside with a crispy, crunchy coating from Panko breadcrumbs and freshly shredded Parmesan. The trick to getting them perfectly textured? Baking them on a wire rack so they cook evenly and get that golden-brown crunch all around. Pair them with our homemade(!) marinara and fresh basil for a cozy Italian-American meal.
Ingredients:
(Recipe makes 4-6 servings of meatballs and 2 quarts of marinara)
Meatball Ingredients:
- (For a finishing drizzle) 1 Tbs of High-Quality EVOO (Any of these will do nicely!)
- 1 1/2 Cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/4 Cup Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 Pounds Meatball Mix (e.g., Ground pork, veal and beef chuck)
- 1 1/2 Cups Freshly Shredded Parmesan (Plus a bit extra for serving)
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1/2 Medium Onion (Grated with the large holes of a box grater)
- 3 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
- 1 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano
- 3 Large Eggs
- Marinara Sauce (See recipe below, OR get some high-end store-bought stuff)
- Fresh Basil Leaves (For serving)
Marinara Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup of High-Quality EVOO (Like one of these!)
- 2 Small Onions (Finely chopped)
- 2 Garlic Cloves (Finely chopped)
- 2 Celery Stocks (Finely chopped)
- 2 Carrots (Peeled and - you guessed it - finely chopped)
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
- 2, 32oz Cans of Crushed Tomatoes (Make sure you get two cans!)
- 2 Dried Bay Leaves
Shopping done? Let's get cooking.
Instructions:
Act 1 - Start with the Sauce!:
The wonderful thing about the marinara is that it can be made the day before you tackle the meatballs. All in, you're looking about a little over an hour to complete the sauce. So, we'd recommend knocking the marinara out the day before, letting the flavors meld and develop in the fridge overnight! Here's how:
Grab a large casserole pot, and toss in the 1/2 cup of olive oil. Heat over medium-high. Once the vessel and oil are hot, add in the onions and garlic, and sauté until they're translucent. This should take about 10 minutes.
Next, add the celery, carrots, and a generous 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Sauté until the veggies are soft. Once again, this will take about 10 minutes.
Toss in the bay leaves along with our primary ingredient, the canned, crushed tomatoes. Simmer this wondrous, rich mixture, and let it thicken over low heat for about an hour.
After an hour's time, remove the bay leaves, and season the sauce with more salt and pepper to your liking.
Again, this can be made the day before, the morning of, or - if you're feeling particularly up for multitasking - concurrently with the meatballs. You're going to love it in any case, but if you DO make it in advance, the sauce can be re-heated in a saucepan on medium heat.
Act 2 - Meatballs in the Making:
Preheat that oven of yours to a cracking 475 degrees F, and pop a wire rack into a baking sheet. Set this aside, as you'll need it in a bit.
Grab a large mixing bowl, and toss the 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and the milk together. Let this mixture soak for about 5 minutes.
Next, add to the bowl: the meatball mix, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the grated onion, the parsley, garlic, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and multiple grinds of black pepper. Also, beat one of the eggs (not too roughly!) in a small bowl and add it into the mix.
You're welcome to use whatever utensil you see fit to mix the above well. However, we've found that good, old-fashioned hands are the most effective tool for the job in this case!
Just make sure your hands are washed thoroughly. It also couldn't hurt to throw on some food-grade gloves, if you're so inclined. 🖐️✌️
Act 3 - Handcrafted with Love:
While using one's hands was optional for the previous step, they're pretty much required for this one. 😊
Using your hands, gently form the meat mixture into 22 meatballs. Think about the size of a golf ball. You'll want to make your meatballs slightly bigger than that. If you have a small scale handy, you'll be aiming for about 3 tablespoons (1.5 oz) per ball.
Quick (important!) sidebar: Make sure you're not forming the meatballs too densely. Be sure to use a light touch when forming things, because we certainly don't want the end product to be too tough!
Once your meatballs - all 22 of 'em - are gently formed, whisk the remaining 2 eggs and a splash of water together in a bowl. Set this bowl aside.
Grab another bowl, and combine the remaining 1 cup of Panko and 1 cup of Parmesan. These two bowls + you tray of meatballs make up your workstation!
Roll each meatball in the Panko / Parm mixture first, and then gently dip each meatball (covering it completely) in the egg mix.
Let the excess egg mix drip off, and then roll each ball again in the Panko / Parm mix. That's right - we're giving each ball a double dose of Panko / Parm!
After you sufficiently coat each meatball, place them back on the rack atop the baking sheet.
Act 4 - Out of the Mixing Bowls & Into the Oven:
By now, you oven's surely achieved the desired 475F temp, so let's transfer the rack / baking sheet in. Place the sheet in the center of the oven.
The goal is to cook the meatballs through without entirely drying them out. This is arguably the most difficult part of this recipe, but worry not - we'll walk ya through it!
Every oven can be a bit different, but in most (correctly calibrated) ovens, the perfect cook time resides somewhere between 20 and 24 minutes. For food safety, take a couple of temperature reads to ensure the center of the meatballs are cooked to an appropriate 165 degrees F.
Once the meatballs are cooked to a safe temp and are sporting a deep, golden-brown, crispy exterior, it's time to serve and enjoy!
Grab the (re)warmed marinara, and sprinkle a few slivers of basil leaves and extra Parm over the meatballs, and enjoy!