This is one of the most requested recipes that I have. It’s adapted from Frank Pellegrini’s Southern Italian Cookbook called “Rao’s Cookbook”. It is my absolute favorite for Southern Italian Cooking because of the simplicity of the recipes and the emphasis on using the highest quality ingredients you can get.
I make these meatballs often and they are excellent, but in the interest of saving time for mid-week cooking, I’ve adapted this recipe from meatballs into a meatloaf, cut into squares, hence the name, “Meatball Bites“.
My adaptation is great because it saves time. You neither have to stand at the counter forming meatballs, nor do you have to stand at the stove frying them, nor do you have to stand at the sink cleaning up after the frying. My Meatball Bites are an equally delicious, healthier and time saving recipe to use on busy nights so you can go where you want to go and do what you want to do, instead of spending hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.
I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!
Preheat the oven to 350.
1 lb ground lean beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 large eggs
1 c. Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
2 small garlic gloves, minced
2 cups Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
2 cups warm water
salt and pepper, to taste
Marinara Sauce (if you don’t have homemade, Rao’s jarred Marinar is exceptionally good).
1. Combine beef, veal and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, bledn ingredients together. Blend Bread Crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is quite moist.
2. Add a thin coating of marinara sauce to a loaf pan and fill the pan with the meat mixture. Top with another coating of marinara, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 hr.
3. While your meat is baking, make your pasta, and add 1 T. extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt to the water. Drain and coat with marinara and put back in pot. Now your pasta is ready to go and your can quickly reheat it when you’re ready for it.
4. Remove the meat from oven slice and chop into square bites.
Serve on top of pasta and top with Marinara Sauce and dinner is done!
Enjoy!
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