Spaghetti and Meatballs

There are about 50 million spaghetti and meatballs recipes on the internet.  Google it and see.  Not only are there differing opinions of what the meatball should contain, there are several schools of though on how you should cook them.  Some bake the meatballs, some simmer them all day in sauce, some saute them and add them later in the process.  Seriously, the first time I made them I sat at the computer for over an hour looking at recipes.  I've now made them several times and this is how my family prefers them. Of course, don't blindly follow me.... you can sit for hours looking at recipes if you really want.

The biggest thing for me is the meat.  You gotta get good stuff.  TGIM and I recently purchased 1/4 side of beef.  It's 100% grass fed, no hormones, humanely treated and all magically delicious.  In fact, TGIM went to the farm to pick it up and he thought the cows looked happy in the pasture.  Little did they know soon they were going to make someone very happy.  Again I'll save the whys of grass fed for another post.

 Here's what you need..... ground beef, seasonings, an egg or two, and panko flakes.  Personally, I do not want meatloaf in a ball in my spaghetti.  I really want the flavors of the meat to shine so I use just a few seasonings.  In fact, my favorite is Watkin's brand Garlic Peppercorn blend.  It's the perfect blend of garlic, pepper corns, salt, oregano and parsley.  If you need to acquire some, you can here. (Side note, this is not a paid advertisement, lol!)  I guess you need some pasta sauce too.  Here's the recipe for Garden Fresh Marinara sauce

put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  I used 2 pounds of ground beef and 1/2 cup panko flakes

My yummy Watkin's Garlic Peppercorns

roll them into balls.  These are golf ball sized.  That's what my boy likes and I try and be a good momma.

Put them in a hot, oiled cast iron skillet.  Don't crowd them or they'll cook funky.

brown them on all sides.  It only takes a few minutes

then put them in the sauce you made and simmer them for about 30 minutes to finish cooking.

I'm assuming you can boil your own pasta, just add your meatballs and sauce to your pasta and Voila!  Super easy and yummy Spaghetti and Meatballs.  Yes, sadly that is cheese from a green container.  This is my boy's plate and he doesn't appreciate the subtle nuances of fresh grated Parmesan.  Oh that and I was plum out of it.