Freezer Meatballs

It's Friday. I've got my future-sister-in-law in town. Two of my girlfriends from Iowa are flying in this morning.  My best friend just had her baby girl on Tuesday. It's my birthday this weekend. And I'm getting the girls together for some wedding dress shopping tomorrow. I'm basically the luckiest girl in the world right now. If I could only freeze this moment in time and just stay in it forever, I probably would. Like a Saved By the Bell time-out. Zac Morris style. You know what else I could freeze? These meatballs. Horrible segway, I know.

Meatballs are basically considered a food group in my household. They come in all forms, with a variety of meats, add-ons, and even sauces to go with. I realize now that photographing raw meat is not appealing whatsoever, so bare with me here. The point is that you make these raw meatballs, freeze them, and then cook them when you're in need of a quick last minute meal. This recipe made 3 batches for me, so I froze two of them and cooked the third, slicing the meatballs and tossing them onto a pizza. Divine.

Freezer Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 slices bread
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook the onion for about 4 minutes until softened. Add in the parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. 

Remove from heat and toss in the sage and basil. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Once the onion mixture has cooled, place into a large mixing bowl. Add in the egg, parmesan, beef, and pork. Squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and crumble into the bowl. Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined. 

Form meatballs using your hands, slightly larger than a golf ball. Place into airtight containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

To cook, thaw overnight in the fridge. Heat up 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs an all sides until brown. Pour a cup of marinara sauce into the skillet, cover and bake at 350 degrees F in the oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.