‘Meatballs’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Ina Garten’s Meatballs

April 29, 2016 · Meat and Poultry, Narrative

Juicy, tender, and oh so easy to make, these are meatballs you’ll want in your life.

This week has seriously been a bit of a blur.

Madeline makes her First Communion tomorrow, and there has been a rush of last minute activities.

Finding a cross topper for the homemade cake she requested for dessert.

Mani/pedi appointments with one of her best friends.

Figuring out the menu for the after-party.

Rehearsal at the church.

Coordinating rides and drop-off times for the friends going with us.

Trying on that special dress one last time.

Hair cuts tonight.

A sleepover with the same bestie since they’re making Communion together tomorrow.

We have affectionately called this week Communion Week.

It’s much like the flurry of activity right before you get married. So much excitement, and fun, and nerves.

But very much all good times.

Madeline is positively gleeful about tomorrow, and a wee bit nervous, but seriously cannot wait.

Pictures to come!

Natch.

So in periods like this, I am forever grateful for a well-stocked freezer and the fortitude to (sometimes, but not always) think ahead.

I made a new recipe for a client that yielded me a dozen Egg Cups, which is perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast.

I made two Broccoli Pies (one to keep, and one to repay a favor), which makes a delicious and easy lunch.

And meatballs.

These meatballs.

I originally made them to celebrate #NationalMeatballDay last month. More specifically, I made a ginormous batch of them for our Girl Scout dinner, and saved some for Nick to have as part of a sandwich that night for his own dinner. AND I froze a bunch of them, which means dinner during this crazy COMMUNION WEEK has been made that much simpler. …

Recipe: Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

December 16, 2015 · Clean Eating

Tired of the same old, same old meatballs? These tender turkey meatballs with a surprise burst of mozzarella inside are just what you need to break out of your rut.

For the most part, over the past four or five years, I have tried to steer clear of carbs (except whole grain) and focus my attention on vegetables and protein.

It’s just better.

I do better, and I feel better.

Except for the occasional slip into tortellini.

So because I avoid carbs, it means I am always on the look-out for a new way to eat protein.

Let’s be real. There are only so many days you can eat grilled chicken.

So when I spied this recipe for Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Meatballs, the ingredients quickly went on my grocery list and they got made the very next day.

The recipe comes from Rehabilitated Fat Boy, someone I originally discovered on Instagram early last year. He eats low carb and clean, and has cooked his way to a 115 pound weight loss.

I love his recipes because while they are all “clean eating” recipes, they are also simple, delicious, and don’t require any crazy ingredients. Which is pretty much my favorite kind of recipe, and this one is no exception.

You can make these, start to finish, in under 45 minutes, and they bridge that special gap between simple and fancy. The meatballs are baked, and then dunked into tomato sauce, which keeps them super tender, and the soft cheese when you bite into them is a nice surprise.

Needless to say, my kids devoured them. They loved the mozzarella insides. You could certainly serve these on a plate of pasta, but I made zucchini noodles. Because, you know, low carb. The zoodles didn’t thrill Nick, but he ate them.

So, #winning.

*I followed the recipe, but inside of using mozzarella sticks, I used the little balls from Bel Gioioso. Those little pearls, halved, were the perfect thing to stuff inside the meatballs, and they taste a heckuva lot better than mozzarella sticks.

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Recipe: Meatballs

January 19, 2015 · Narrative

The most tender, delicious meatballs that ever were. And the perfect thing to cook up when you want to proudly wave that Italian flag.

I have a small list of mini goals I am focusing on this year. I won’t call them resolutions, because there is nothing magically “new year” about them. Just little goals I have set for myself to work towards.

And cooking more Italian food happens to be one of them.

Which was especially reinforced when Nick exclaimed “We’re Italian??” at a New Year’s Day brunch.

It was a momentary lapse, for sure, but it just reminded me of how little Italian food I cook.

For two reasons.

One, because my interests in cooking are ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Kind of like me.

Not a bad thing in the least, but I think it’s important that my kids are reminded of their cultural background.

Even better when it’s through food at our table.

Because food = love.

I want them to associate certain things with their Mom and childhood.

Good, homecooked meals should be in the top five.

And the second reason I don’t cook a lot of Italian food?

Because carbs.

Hard to crack open an Italian cookbook and not find it rife with pastas and breads.

And while I’m not NOT eating carbs, I usually keep them at a bare minimum.

And so here we are.

Working on that mini goal of “cook more Italian,” and these meatballs.

Our weekend was decidedly chill, which was 100 parts awesome. And because it was planned that way, I also set aside a chunk of time to make Sunday Gravy. With meatballs. And garlic bread.

And this “weekend chill factor” was further buoyed by an ice storm that had all newscasters begging people to stay off the roads.

And so we did.

Pajama-clad from Saturday afternoon through mid-day Monday.

Perfection.

And so were these meatballs.

Ridiculously simple to make, they are moist, huge, and filled with subtly impactful flavor.

Which also means: everything a meatball should be.

Make them.

And tuck the recipe into your repertoire for when you have a lazy Sunday or want to embrace your Italian heritage.

Whether or not you’re Italian.

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