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I want to confess right from the start that this easy homemade meatballs recipe is one of my favorites, because it reminds me a lot of my childhood. Just like Potatoes Stew, homemade meatballs take me back in time, and make me remember about the dishes that my grandmother used to prepare for me when I was little, and she always did her best to satisfy my cravings, sometimes even culinary whims.
Over time, the cooking methods have changed a little, but the unique taste of homemade meatballs remains the same.
In addition, for parents or caregivers of picky eaters, homemade meatballs can be an extremely simple option to hide various vegetables, or other ingredients, that a child may refuse to eat in their natural form.
So, let’s discover together how we can get some easy homemade meatballs, whether we choose to cook them in the oven, or use a slow cooker.
How to make healthy homemade meatballs?
First of all, I encourage you to save this recipe for homemade meatballs, because it will help you a lot over time. Why? The answer is simple: homemade meatballs are a simple and versatile dish both from the point of view of preparation and serving.
Let me explain in detail…
If we talk about how to prepare homemade meatballs, I will tell you from the beginning that you can use a very varied range of ingredients, or you can limit yourself to a minimum of ingredients that you find in your fridge or your pantry.
Then, you have the possibility to prepare healthy meatballs using any type of meat you want (chicken, turkey, pork, beef), or you can opt for the vegetarian balls option. Regardless of whether you choose to use meat or not, you can introduce a variety of vegetables, for extra taste, or to satisfy your cravings.
Also, healthy meatballs can be cooked in many ways, among which I will highlight: oven baked meatballs or slow cooked meatballs. But there are other ways to cook easy homemade meatballs. For example, as I told you at the beginning of this article, my grandmother used to cook pan fried homemade meatballs for me when I was a child. Now, having several cooking methods on our disposal and knowing some information about what are the healthier cooking options, maybe I would reconsider pan fried meatballs in favor of oven-baked and slow-cooked ones.
So, look how many options we have just for preparing and cooking these incredible homemade meatballs, and we haven’t even reached the serving part yet, where I will present you a wide range of options.
So, if you want to prepare some delicious homemade meatballs, you need some basic ingredients, such as:
Grated vegetables
I always choose to add onions, garlic and carrots, for extra taste. Besides these, I like to add, if I have, red bell pepper, zucchini or potatoes. Please remember that all these vegetables must be chopped using a vegetable chopper or a vegetable grater. I used the Thermomix to chop the vegetables;
Egg
It is essential to add a whole egg to the composition for homemade meatballs, regardless of whether you choose to cook with meat or make vegetarian balls, because the egg will bind the ingredients, so that they will not spread in the oven tray or in the cooking pot of a slow cooker;
Spices
You can choose to go with the classic version, adding only salt and black pepper, or you can add other spices that you like, such as thyme, parsley, sweet paprika or others;
Bread or breadcrumbs
To make sure that homemade meatballs are fluffy inside, you need to add pieces of bread (without crust) soaked in water, or breadcrumbs. In addition, breadcrumbs can help if you use a lot of vegetables and the composition is too fluid, to thicken it a little so that it allows you to form the balls;
Meat
The type of meat you prefer, whether we are talking about ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey. Meat is only necessary for those who want to cook homemade meatballs. For those who opt for homemade vegetarian balls, this ingredient will not be used.
Oil
The last necessary ingredient is vegetable oil, which you will introduce both in the composition for homemade meatballs, but also use to grease your palms to easily form homemade meatballs.
That’s pretty much the list of ingredients needed. It’s not complicated, is it?
How to cook healthy meatballs?
Apart from the fact that they are delicious, homemade meatballs are also healthy, if you choose the right ingredients. If you try this healthy meatball recipe, using natural, organically grown ingredients, I assure you that you will get a delicious, healthy and versatile baked meatball dish.
Thus, as I told you earlier, I chose to focus in this article on homemade meatballs in the oven and slow cooked meatballs. With the exception of the final cooking stage, these two options for healthy meatballs follow the same steps.
At the end of the article, you will find a video recipe for slow cooked meatballs, which I guarantee is at least as delicious as the oven baked meatballs.
So, if we talk about homemade meatballs in the oven, all I can tell you is that they will have a slightly crispy crust, and the inside will be fluffy and soft.
Personally, although I tried all the possible meatballs compositions, I came to the conclusion that the most delicious are the ones that also contain ground pork. I mean, whether you choose to use ground turkey, ground chicken or ground beef, it would be ideal to add a small amount of ground pork. If you like, you can only use ground pork, but I wouldn’t recommend a lot of fat, if you want to have kidsfriendly meatballs.
Why do I recommend adding a small amount of ground pork? Because homemade meatballs that have a little pork in their composition are softer, due to the texture of the pork and the amount of fat it has. Thus, you can be sure that oven baked meatballs will not be dry, especially on the inside.
Also, as I already told you, vegetables and bread (or breadcrumbs) will significantly contribute to obtaining soft baked homemade meatballs.
So, stop thinking about it. Chop the meat, grate the vegetables and let’s prepare together this amazing baked meatball dish.
How to serve homemade meatballs?
We have reached the most amazing part. Why? Because here you will find out how versatile this baked meatball dish really is.
So, if you choose to cook oven baked meatballs, you can enjoy them with a side dish of vegetables, maybe even potatoes, and achieve a delicious and filling main course. I recommend you try with confidence Potatoes au Gratin recipe or German Red Cabbage recipe, for an amazing and complete lunch dish. Also, Swedish style meatballs with gravy would be an excellent choice.
For dinner you can prepare some delicious pasta, which will more than likely be to the children’s liking. I recommend you to try baked meatballs in tomato sauce, which together with the little ones’ favorite pasta, will be a culinary success. To be able to prepare this pasta, all you have to do is prepare a tomato sauce in which to dip the baked homemade meatballs, and at the end mix them with the cooked pasta, for an amazing dish.
But what can you do if you have cooked too many homemade meatballs? Or if you didn’t eat them while they were warm and fresh? Well, I have great news for you: they can be successfully used as a baked meatball appetizer.
Practically, leftover baked meatballs can become a dish, because they can be enjoyed warm or cold, without any problem. And look, without any extra effort, we get the perfect baked meatball appetizer for a festive meal or a family reunion.
Therefore, this healthy meatball recipe is essential for any family. Whether you choose to prepare dinner for the children using pasta with baked meatballs in tomato sauce, or that you want to surprise your family with baked homemade meatballs served with a tasty side dish for lunch, or that you are going to delight your friends at a table where you use baked meatballs appetizer, I guarantee you need this recipe.
So, please follow the steps in the recipe below and watch the video with Swedish style meatballs with gravy.
Easy Homemade Meatballs Recipe Full
Homemade Meatballs – Super Easy to Cook Recipe
Equipment
- 1 CrockPotExpress Multicooker / Slowcooker / Oven
- 1 Oven Tray
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 700 g ground meat;
- Vegetables I used onions, 2 carrots, 4 garlic cloves and 1 red pepper bell;
- 2 slices Bread or breadcrumbs;
- 1 pcs Egg
- Vegetable oil;
- Salt;
- Black Pepper;
Instructions
- First, you grind the meat at home, take into account to add the pieces of moist bread into the meat grinder while grinding the meat;
- Grate the vegetables; If you use the Thermomix, you can grate the vegetables and the slices of bread together using 10 SEC – Speed 6;
- Add the egg, the ground meet, salt, black pepper and 1 tsp oil and mix well the ingredients;
- If necessary, add breadcrumbs to thicken the composition in order to form the meatballs;
- Pour a small amount of oil in your palms, and using a teaspoon, place compositions in your palms;
- Using your palms, form the meatballs;
- Place the meatballs on a backing tray covered with baking paper;
- Cook the meatballs into the preheated oven for 45 minutes at 190o Celsius (374o F)
- During the baking time, turn the meatballs on the other side, to bake evenly;
- After 45 minutes, set the oven on the FAN / Ventilation program, and leave the meatballs into the over for 10-15 minutes, until they get brown crust.
- Serve the meatballs with a side dish, or soak them into tomato sauce to make pasta for kids.
Nutrition
Swedish Style Meatballs with Gravy step-by-step Video recipe
If you choose to cook Swedish Style Meatballs with Gravy, whether you cook them using a Slow Cooker or baked into the oven, check out the step-by-step video recipe that will help you.
Also, if you own the Thermomix, you can find the Gravy Sauce recipe on Cookidoo.
I hope you will try this easy and delicious homemade meatballs recipe. I am very curious to find out what you feel about it. So, remember to share your thoughts, opinions and reviews in the comments section. Until the next easy and delicious homemade recipe, I wish you all a great time spent with your loved ones. Bye 😊
