Tasty Tuesday

Loving this fall weather! Makes me want to cook! Here's is an oldie that I've been making for years! I'm not gonna lie though. This isn't a quick a minute meal to whip up but it's SOOOO worth it. If you can prep the night before, it will cut the time in half. The nice thing is that even for a family our size, we will eat these leftovers for several days after. Oh, and everyone in our family loves these so no complaining! Recipe courtesy of Food Network. Love Giada!

Mini Meatball Heroes

Meatballs:


1 small onion, grated

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 large egg

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

6 ounces ground beef

6ounces ground veal

6 ounces ground pork

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Marinara sauce, 26-ounce jar, store-purchased



Sandwiches:

12 (3 to 3 1/2-inch diameter) Italian rolls, split, warm

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

3 ounces sliced provolone

Directions
To make the meatballs: Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, veal, and pork. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.


Heat the oil in heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in 2 to 3 batches, add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Add the marinara sauce. Simmer over medium-low until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The meatball mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)


To make the sandwiches: Spoon the hot meatballs with some sauce over the bottoms of the rolls. Place 1/2 slice provolone on top of meatballs and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spread more sauce over the roll tops, then fold the tops of the rolls over and serve.


Cook's Note: The sandwiches can be assembled then wrapped individually in foil. Rewarm the sandwiches in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes.

Couple of changes that I made. First, I used 1 pound ground pork and 1 pound ground beef, left out the veal. Like I said before, you can make the meatballs up ahead of time & put them in the fridge on a cookie sheet. Another tip, buy extra sub rolls. You'll need them for the leftovers! You MUST buy marinara sauce, not just spagetti sauce. Yes, there is a HUGE difference in taste. I'm always wanting quick, easy meals & while this one isn't difficult, it just takes a little time to brown the meatballs. Can't wait for you guys to try it!