Chile Verde Meatballs

This recipe has been in my computer file for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t make note of where I found it, so I can’t share the source with you. It’s also been on my menu plan for a couple of weeks, but I finally was able to make it for supper, so I can share that with you!

This is so easy to whip up, and very tasty without being too spicy. I made my own meatballs (remember, I keep some in the freezer) instead of using purchased frozen ones. Even if you don’t have any meatballs in your freezer, they don’t take long to make (20 minutes in a 350 degree oven), so you, too, can avoid the icky, rubbery grocery store variety.

These were served with rice, refried beans, and warm flour tortillas. My original plan was to have black beans, but it turns out we didn’t have any in the cupboard. (Back to the freezer again for the homemade refried beans. Yea!)

This photo is Jessi’s plate, since I had gobbled down half of my meal before thinking of taking a picture. She really likes sour cream, so I thought I’d make note of that – I didn’t use quite that much. :o) The sour cream really does finish off the flavor of this dish, though, so make sure you have some for garnish.

Chile Verde Meatballs
SERVES 4 -6
1 large fresh onion, minced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa Verde
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs frozen meatballs
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish
Directions
- Into a large, heavy pot, add the onion, garlic, salsa Verde, broth, and the meatballs.
- Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; add the ground cumin
and simmer for 15 minutes more.
- Serve with sour cream for garnish, along with rice and beans and
tortillas.
**Note: you can also make this in your crockpot on low for 4 hours, adding
in the cumin in the last 30 minutes.

Meatballs

More than just a bad Bill Murray movie from 1979…

Whenever I buy a large quantity of ground beef (on sale), I always make a batch of meatballs to keep in the freezer for future recipes. By “a batch”, I mean triple or quadruple a regular recipe. Today I tripled this one for plain, basic meatballs, using ground sirloin, and ended up with 80 meatballs, about ping-pong ball size.

Some will be for supper tonight in the Meatball Minestrone Soup. The rest will be flash frozen and stored in a Ziplock bag. We’ll pop some in the crockpot with barbecue sauce for Super Bowl snacks, and Jessi is planning to co-host a baby shower in early February and I’m “catering” the event, so a few dozen will go for that. Perhaps a meal of spaghetti and meatballs or mashed potatoes with meatballs in brown gravy to use up the rest? We’ll just have to see…

I bake my meatballs on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. They take about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. When they come out of the oven, they go onto wire cooling racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. This batch didn’t have that issue (93% lean meat).

This recipe came from a Google search – you can click on the title to go to Recipezaar and see the original.

Easy Basic Meatballs

25 min | 5 min prep

• Ingredients
• 1 lb ground beef (we also use ground turkey)
• 1/2-2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (can also use seasoned crumbs)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4-3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, chopped (approx 1/4 c)
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and shape into 20-24 meatballs (1 to 1-1/2 inches each).

2. To oven bake: Place in ungreased 9x13 pan (you may want to line it with foil for easier clean-up).

3. Bake 20-25 min or until light brown and cooked through; turn meatballs halfway through, if desired, to help maintain a round shape.