Make-Ahead Italian Meatballs
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • Servings: 30
  • Preparation Time: 15
  • 1pound lean ground beef
  • 1medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1/3cup Progresso® dry bread crumbs (any flavor)
  • 1/4cup milk
  • 1egg
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1/8teaspoon pepper
  • 1cup chili sauce
  • 1/2cup cold water
  • 1jar (12 ounces) tomato pasta sauce (any variety)
  • 1teaspoon yellow mustard
DIRECTIONS
  1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
  2. Mix ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, milk,
  3. egg, salt and pepper.
  4. Shape mixture into thirty 1-inch balls.
  5. Place in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
  6. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until no longer pink in center and juice is clear.
  7. Place meatballs on ungreased cookie sheet.
  8. Freeze uncovered about 20 minutes or until firm. Place partially frozen meatballs in heavy plastic bag or freezer container. Seal, label and
  9. freeze no longer than 3 months.
  10. About 25 minutes before serving, mix chili sauce, water, pasta sauce and mustard in 2-quart saucepan.
  11. Add meatballs. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until meatballs are hot. (To serve immediately without freezing, continue as directed--except decrease simmer time
  12. to 15 minutes.)
  13. Nutrition Information:
  14. 1 Serving: Calories 65 (Calories from Fat 25 ); Total Fat 3 g
  15. (Saturated Fat 1 g); Cholesterol 15 mg; Sodium 270 mg; Total
  16. Carbohydrate 6 g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 4 g Percent Daily
  17. Value*: Vitamin A 4 %; Vitamin C 2 %; Calcium 0%; Iron 2
  18. % Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat
  19. *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
  20. Success
  21. Partially freezing the meatballs before putting them in a plastic bag ensures that the meatballs won't stick together and lose their shape when thawed.
  22. Planned- Overs
  23. These meatballs don't have to look the same the second time around. Crumble leftovers and stir into chili, pasta sauce or a sloppy joe or taco mix.