In the kitchen with Elisa
The Best Homemade Meatballs
A base recipe with two delicious serving suggestions
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Red or white sauce? Which one would you choose? :)​
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Finally, finally I can share this recipe with you. I have planned it so long and thought about it even longer. It was definitely a longer process than what I expected, but I must say, now that it is ready, I am really happy with it. My original plan was a great basic meatballs recipe inspired by the way we tend to make meatballs in Finland.​ This includes some specific ingredients like French onion soup and sour cream, and also the fact that they are baked in the oven and not fried. To this I also added something that I learned from my boyfriend's grandmother, fresh herbs. Whenever she makes minced meat cutlets (which are a very common thing in Russian families) she always adds some finely chopped fresh herbs and it adds so much flavour. That is why I decided to also add this element to my meatballs and I must say they have never tasted better :) So even if you are feeling sceptical about the amount of fresh herbs, just give it a go and you will be surprised :)
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Then the next step of this recipe was to decide on the way of presenting it. That is when I realised there are two very famous ways of presenting meatballs, the tomato sauce and spaghetti and the mashed potatoes and white sauce. I could have just chosen one, but that might have left some of you without a desired serving suggestion. In our family I am a fan of tomato everything, whether fresh or cookes I love tomatoes. However, my boyfriend is not a big fan, especially when it comes to cooked tomatoes. Which also got me thinking that maybe he is not the only one and so that is when I knew, I need to share both of these sauces just so that everyone has something there for their taste palette.
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Even though both the recipe and the video tutorial to it got a little long, these are all really easy and simple to make recipes. It just looks like a lot because instead of a usual one recipe there is a combination of three. But because they all kind of belong together I thought this is the best way to share them.
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The recipe makes two trays of meatballs and so as I mentioned in the recipe you can either store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freezer.
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I hope you will enjoy these recipes and let me know which sauce is your favourite, red or white :)
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Enjoy!
Step by Step Video
RECIPE
The Best Homemade Meatballs
A base recipe with two delicious serving suggestions
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​INGREDIENTS
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1kg (just over 2 pounds) minced meat
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2 eggs
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1pkg (for 750ml soup) French onion soup
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200g (about 1 cup) sour cream or smetana
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1tsp salt
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1tsp freshly ground black pepper
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2tbsp mustard
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1/3 bunt fresh dill
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1/3 bunt fresh parsley
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For Tomato Sauce (about 2 servings)
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1 medium white onion
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2 garlic cloves
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olive oil
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1tbsp tomato paste
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1tsp salt
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freshly ground black pepper
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1tsp dry oregano
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1 can (400g) plum tomatoes
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1/2 can cold water
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parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for serving
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Mustard Sauce (about 2 servings)
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1 medium white onion
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2 garlic cloves
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olive oil
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1tbsp mustard
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300-500ml (about 1 1/4 cup to 2 1/4 cup) cream or milk
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salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1tbsp all purpose flour
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fresh parsley for serving
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DIRECTIONS
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In a large bowl combine the French onion soup, the sour cream and the eggs. Mix well with a fork until combined. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and add in the mustard. Mix again shortly. Leave aside.
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Wash the dill and the parsley well, remove the hard ends and chop really finely.
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Add the herbs to the bowl along with the minced meat. Mix everything thoroughly with your hands until the ingredients have combined and the mince has softened.
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Cover a baking tray with aluminium foil and parchment paper (this will save you some washing up). Take a heaped tablespoon full of the mince and form it into a ball with your hands. Arrange the meatballs on the baking tray with a little space apart.
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Bake the meatballs in the oven in 200°C (392°F) bottom top heat at the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and serve right away or cool completely, transfer into an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for later.
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To make the tomato sauce peel and slice the onion and the garlic cloves. Heat a pan over medium heat and once warm, cover the bottom with some olive oil. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until soft. Then add tomato paste, a can of plum tomatoes, wash the can with about half a can of cold water and also add into the pan. Break the tomatoes a little with a spoon. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and oregano. Mix shortly, cover with a lid and simmer on low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Add in the meatballs, coat them well with the sauce, cover with a lid, turn off the heat and allow the meatballs to absorb the flavour from the sauce for about 10 minutes. Serve with freshly cooked spaghetti or any other pasta, grate some parmesan cheese on top and garnish with fresh parsley.
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To make the mustard sauce peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Heat a pan over medium heat and once warm, cover the bottom with some olive oil. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until soft. Add a big tablespoon of mustard, mix in shortly. Add the cream or the milk, mix shortly. Turn the heat to high to bring to boil. In the meantime season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once boiling add the meatballs, turn the heat down to low, coat the meatballs with the sauce, cover with the lid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Portion the mashed potatoes on your plates, add the meatballs on top. Bring the sauce back to simmer, whisk in the flour and continue whisking while heating until the sauce thickens up. If you notice that it has gone too thick, add some more cream or milk until you are happy with the consistency. Portion the sauce on top of the mashed potatoes and meatballs and garnish with some fresh parsley.
