Baked Spring Meatballs
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 or 4 whole stalks (including green part) of sliced or diced spring garlic
- 2 or 3 whole stalks of sliced or diced spring onion
- 1 cup finely chopped mix of baby greens and herbs. (to decrease the taste of the greens but keep the nutrition freeze the whole greens in a single layer on a sheet pan, then finely chop.)
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/3-1/2 cups grated hard cheese (optional)
- 1/3-1/2 cups unseasoned panko bread crumbs, for gluten-free use GF oats baked until fragrant and roughly chopped in food processor (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- 2 dashes worcestershire sauce (optional)
- salt
- black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degreesF.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl gently with hands. You want everything to be interspersed but if you mash the meat too hard the texture of the finished product will suffer.
- Line 3 sheet pans (or any baking sheet with sides) with parchment paper. I bake only one pan at a time for even baking so don't worry if you don't have 3, in that case put a piece of parchment on your counter and line 1 sheet pan.
- Shape mixture into spheres about 1.5 inches in diameter. Rinsing your hands in cold water every so often will prevent most sticking.
- Place shaped meatballs on lined sheet pan, approx. 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Flip the meatballs. Bake for 15minutes more or until golden and crisp on the outside. Repeat with rest of the shaped meatballs.
- Use immediately or cool to room temp. Arrange in one layer on a sheet pan and freeze overnight-24 hours. Place in plastic zippered or vacuum bags. Store in freezer for up to 4 months. To reheat: place frozen meatballs in a skillet of sauce or 1/2 inch of water over med-high heat. Cover. Turn meatballs every few minutes until warmed through.
- VARIATION If you want to use these in a soup or as an appetizer/hors doeuvres for a party: Preheat oven to 350 degreesF. Shape the mixture smaller with a 1/2 inch cookie scoop. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, bake 5 minutes more.
ground lamb, ground beef, ground pork, stalks, stalks of, herbs, eggs, hard cheese, bread crumbs, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper
Taken from food52.com/recipes/70108-baked-spring-meatballs (may not work)