Foodie Friday...Amazing Meatballs

Okay, first I have to say that I FORGOT to take pictures of this AMAZING creation!!!  :(  Boo!!!  But I was having the newlyweds over for dinner and I wasnt' thinking of photos at the time.  Sad, but true.  This photo I found on Google images and it is from http://foodsessed.com/2010/04/09/spaghetti-and-meatballs/ looks pretty close only my balls were even bigger and my sauce was thicker.    Check out her recipe too though as it does look and sound yummy for spag and meatballs.  This recipe is only for meatballs.  I debated about whether to do pasta or not and really I just wanted the meatballs!!!  SO, last minute I quickly made some of the Lipton Pasta Sides butter flavored noodles to go along side.  We also had a nice green salad with almonds and mandarin oranges and balsamic vinegar...it was yummy.  I also made some Italian Herb bread in my bread maker and a cucumber salad.  Oh, and chocolate cobbler for dessert. YUM!!!
Okay...here's the yumminess...

Saucy Meatballs

Sauce: (Make in Stew Pot)

Large can tomatoes (used the ones with Italian seasonings)

Regular sized can of tomato sauce

2 peppers chopped

4 plum tomatoes

1 onion

1 T brown sugar

1 T instant coffee

5 T cider vinegar

Salt – a little more than you think – the tomatoes need it

Pepper

Worcestershire sauce – about 10 shakes

Garlic – about 1 ½ T

Beef bouillon – I use the better than Bouillon and I used about 2 t (I’d say 1-2 cubes)

Paprika – about 4-5 shakes

Parsley – handful – saved this for the tipping

Pan on high heat add tomatoes, peppers, onion and let it steep and reduce on high heat add other ingredients and stirring occasionally leave on high (6ish) while you make the meatballs.  When you start to brown the meatballs the sauce should be a beautiful rich, thick texture and you can turn the heat to medium (4ish).  I also used my emulsion blender and blended it up a little so it was smooth.

Meatball ingredients: (make in high-rimmed skillet)

EVOO

Beef/pork mixture – I used 3 pounds (6 servings)

2 eggs

Couple handfuls breadcrumbs

Italian seasoning – about a tablespoon

Salt

Pepper

Cheddar cheese

Heat pan up with EVOO and then mix beef/eggs/crumbs/seasonings together.  Form a large ball and then poke a hole and fill with cheese being careful to reform ball. 
Brown all sides in hot skillet

Preheat oven to 350’

Combine!

When the balls are tan on all sides I added the sauce to the balls and move the meatballs around to get saucy.  Top with parsley leaves.  Put in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Tammy

Foodie Friday - Spaghetti Soup

YUM!!!  What a hit this was!!!  I found a similar recipe online but switched it up a bit and made it even better (in my opinion!) AND made it easier!!

Spaghetti Soup

• 5 cups low sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 2 chopped cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 jar chunky spaghetti sauce 
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• kosher salt and fresh pepper
• package of precooked sausage crumbles (I used the soy kind and no one knew!)
• approximately 1/2 box of broken spaghetti - picture below of what I used

Directions:

In a soup pot over medium heat, bring all ingredients excpet noodles to a boil; simmer together for at least 5 mins but for as long as you want...I had mine on for about 40 minutes.  Add broken noodles and cook until they are done tor your liking - took about 10 minutes for me.  I sprinkled with Parmasean cheese.  Would be great with garlic bread too!! 

Foodie Friday - Crockpot Bean Soup

YUMMY!!!!
Please don't think this is your everyday bean soup...I love me some bean soup, but this isn't creamy like that.  It is chicken broth based and it is delicious!  I based this on a Hungry Girl recipe called What's Shakin' Beany Bacon Soup.  I changed it up though and cooked mine in a crock.  This is what I did...

Bean/Sausage Soup:
1 large jar (32 oz?) of great northern beans (not Sam's club large; just grocery store large - the one in the glass jar)
1 bag (10oz?) of baby carrots
2 heaping spoonsful of chicken stock base - you could also use boullion but I like to buy a jar of this at Sam's and have it on hand - it is a really good stock base!
1 large onion
2 t.Rosemary
2 t.Thyme
1 lb crumbled turkey sausage (I cheated and used the packaged pre-cooked kind - easy, peasy!)
fresh spinach - hard to tell how much I grabbed three handfuls.

Put beans in crock and then rinse jar and add stock base to jar and fill about 3/4 full of water.  Shake until base is dissolved and add to crock.  Roughly chop onion and add that to crock along with carrots, rosemary and thyme.  Set crock up for cook on low for 8 hours.  Add spinach and let sit in crock for about 15 mins or until spinach withers a bit.  Enjoy!!!!

This is a great fall soup and my family all enjoyed it with homemade bread.  My son and I also added some hot sauce....yum!  :)