Garden Grown Meatballs Tuesday, August 12, 2008

INGREDIENTS:

• - Olive oil for greasing the foil
• - 3 large eggs
• - 1/2 cup whole milk
• - 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• - 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
• - 3/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• - 2 teaspoons of salt
• - 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• - 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
• - 1 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
• - 1 pound lean ground beef
• - 1 pound ground pork

Makes about 20 Meatballs

PREPARATION:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup. Lightly oil the foil or paper liner. Set the baking sheet aside.

2. Place the eggs, milk, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cheese and bread crumbs and stir to mix.

3. Using your hands, break the beef and pork into small chunks and add them to the bowl. Blend the mixture with your hands until just combined, working the mixture as little as possible.

4. Gently form the meat mixture into 2-inch meatballs, and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet so they do not touch each other.

5. Bake the meatballs until an "instant-read" meat thermometer inserted into the center of one reads 160 F; 25 to 30 minutes.

6. If you are not planning on serving the meatballs at this time, let them cool to room temperature. Once they cool, they can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze the cooked meatballs, place them on a tray in a single layer in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, transfer the meatballs to an airtight container or freezer bag. Because they are individually frozen, you can take out just the number you need. Let the meatballs thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Enjoy!