Transform the classic comfort food into a good-for-you meal with lighter ingredient swaps and nutritious pairings. Linda Harrell, chef and partner at Cibo e Beve Italian Kitchen & Bar on Roswell Road, might well be the queen of the Atlanta meatball scene. Used 1/4 cup measuring cup to pack meat in and then used small spoon to to help drop out meatball on foil-covered pan, then smashed down the meatball slightly, no messy hands!
Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half; heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes. I can picture it as a meatball sub as well (we don’t do a lot of bread, but a little isn’t good to kill us). I was glad I had a 2 1/2 pound package of meatball mix” because I adjusted the recipe accordingly and froze half the meatballs uncooked for next time.
Io preparo molto spesso le polpette con il sugo e poi le servo insieme agli spaghetti. I have made meatballs for years thinking I am pretty good at it. I made these tonight to take to work tomorrow for meatball subs for everyone. I mention this only because it is a question I am often asked as someone surveys the neatly formed meatball that has just collapsed into mince before their eyes.
But I find that if you make sure there is sufficient sauce surrounding each meatball (so that they’re not touching) they simmer and cook fine without the browning step. This recipe is an exception to the rule because it’s made with a homemade BBQ sauce, so we were all over it!
I have zero meatball memories from when I was growing up. Maybe I just don’t remember but I’m pretty sure my mom didn’t make them. Of course Italians are well-versed on meatball magic given their compatibility with pasta. Update – I actually 4X the recipe because of the meat coming in 1 pound packages so I had sooooo much meatball mix.
