This is me.
I put empty milk containers back in the fridge.
I throw gum wrappers behind the couch.
I resist laundry until it smells.
I don’t roll the toothpaste tube from the bottom.
I eat all of the rice chex out of the Chex Mix.
And I use tomato sauce from a jar.
Meatballs!
Mini meatballs. Bite sized meatballs. Meatballs that can be eaten in one chew. Meatballs that are cute. Meatballs that are easy. Meatballs that are simple. Meatballs that taste delicious with pasta. Meatballs that taste even better snuggled in fluffy wheat buns, toasted to perfection then blanketed with a layer of melty provolone broiled until golden brown. Do it.
Bite Size Baked Meatballs
makes 30-40 mini meatballs
1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup romano cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, add ground beef, egg, oil, cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, basil and parsley. Mix to combine, gently tossing a few times with your hands. Don’t overmix – it will result in tough meatballs! Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray and add 2 cups of pasta sauce. Roll beef into mini meatballs (about a tablespoon of beef) and set in sauce. Once all meatballs have been added, sprinkle additional cheese and breadcrumbs over top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with additional sauce if desired.
I also need to add to the above list that I don’t clean. But I believe that goes without saying around here.
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
Oh YUM. How I love a big bowl of pasta… made better only by the presence of meat balls!
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There is nothing wrong with using sauce from a jar. Trader Joe’s tomato sauce is the best jarred sauce I’ve ever tasted! :-D
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Herby cheese meatballs sound delicious. Meatballs are handmade so its OK to use bottled sauce! Was the pasta hand made though?:)
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 7:29 am
Noooo way. Not my specialty!
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You are awesome and I’m lovin’ those meatballs.
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great pasta shots!
in my food styling workshop we learned how to style spaghetti for the camera. you get an A++++ and you didnt even need to fly to CA for the workshop but i wish you would have anyway :)
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I totally eat the rice chex out of chex mix. Actually both the chex. If you find a bag in my house.. it will have only bread sticks, bagel chips, and pretzels remaining!
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 7:29 am
The rye chips are the worst!
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You’re starting to rub off on me. My house is a mess. I need a cleaning lady.
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 7:28 am
Oh. I thought you meant you were going to start eating meat. ;)
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I LOVE making mini meatballs! Everyone always gets excited about them. I like how you baked them on top of the sauce. I usually bake mine alone and then toss them in sauce. I will have to try this.
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love alllll things mini! My stepdad makes ginormous sized meatballs, but I’d much prefer mini sized ones!
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You make meatballs look so beautiful!
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You cleaned your mixer yesterday…you are getting there. She looked all pretty and shiny! The meatballs look perfect! I love making stuff like this. It’s very calming and my boys love getting to eat bite sized foods…especially in the form of meat.
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You are amazing. Looks awesome!
Ummmm I had a dream last night that you visited me. What does that mean?
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:58 am
Something wonderful!?
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mini meatballs…yum! after reading your post yesterday i went downstairs and took a look at my mixer. YIKES. i don’t know if it’s supposed to be that dirty, but i’ll be honest: i’m probably going to wait another couple days to clean it because i’m lazy.
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I love that you throw gum wrappers behind the couch — I stuff the used dryer sheets in the couch (usually I fold laundry on the couch). Jason just laughs when he reaches in a pulls out handfuls of dryer sheets. I’m just trying to keep the couch fresh :)
Love the mini meatballs — so cute!
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:57 am
Hey, you are preventing anyone that sits down from getting static cling.
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I didn’t think I’d ever say this about ground meat, but these look so cute!! I’m not a big toothpaste roller either, and when I used to eat Vector by the crate, I’d pick out all the soy clusters.
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:57 am
What is Vector??
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Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat — May 6th, 2011 @ 9:15 am
It’s that Kellogg’s cereal that is supposed to be for athletes (http://www.ktosz.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?product=458&company=2) and I ate it all the time when I was swimming competitively because I thought I was pretty hardcore lol! It’s actually advertised as a meal replacement cereal because it contains so many vitamins and stuff, but it also contains some nasties and artificial flavours so I’m not really a fan any more! I’d rather eat your meatballs…. ;)
Hi Jess,
I have been reading your blog for a few months now, and I just wanted to take a second to tell you how much I LOVE it! You are absolutely hilarious (especially with your references to your grandmother and husband), and your food is always drool inducing. :) Keep up the great work!
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:57 am
Thank you so much Molly!
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This looks fantastic! Can’t wait to try this :)
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I bookmarked this recipe…I love making meatballs, they’re definitely a comfort food for me!
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:57 am
Us too!
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Those look fantastic and I am a big fan of good jarred tomato sauce:-)
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I don’t think I have ever in my life made homemade spaghetti sauce. I embrace the jar!
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:56 am
Not sure if I have either!
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Yummy!!!! We use jarred marinara sauce when we’re in the States!!! :D
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those are SO cute! i’ll have to check out this recipe for when i make my meatballs this weekend!! i can never make consistent sized ones, and they are always so huge…
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holy yum!! i can’t wait to make these!
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I spy yet another amazing Trader Joe’s “must try” ingredient! :-)
The mini meatballs look delicious and so cute and dainty! I just the your presentation, Jessica. The pasta all curled up on that plate topped with those mini meatballs = “money shot”! I might add a sprig of fresh basil to garnish, if I had some. That’s just how I roll! ;-)
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 8:56 am
Ooooh I love me some fresh basil too!
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Jess — May 6th, 2011 @ 11:46 am
yes! always add basil:)
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My boys love meatballs, I will have to give them a try. Thanks for sharing.
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How cute are these meatballs!? And cleaning? It’s totally overrated. By overrated, I mean the absolute worst thing ever.
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IM DOING IT!
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I love this idea! Mini meatballs. So much better than huge giant meatballs you have to cut into. I bet these are little balls of goodness that burst with flavor in your mouth. Okay that was a weird description. But seriously… I want to try these! Thanks for sharing!
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Gosh, I love meatballs.
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Aint nothin’ wrong with sauce from a jar — there’s some good stuff out there!
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Bite-size anything are always more fun the regular-size! And I like that sauce from TJs too. I usually spike it with Tabasco and chili pepper flakes because I like things spicy :)
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So cute!! And they look and sound yummy, thanks!
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I can’t get over your food photography, it always looks so beautiful :)
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I have “beef stew syndrome”, meaning I only eat the good things out of a dish. The beef from beef stew or pineapples from a fruit salad. :-)
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Hey Jessica!
Just wanted to let you know I made your crispy tequila tacos last night for Cinco de Mayo – they were delicious!! I will make the strawberry avocado salsa by the bucket in the future:D
Thanks!! Lucy
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 2:36 pm
So glad you liked them!
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That is the most perfect looking plate of pasta + meatballs I have ever seen. Adorable!
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Now those are some yummy looking meat-a-balls! I think you’ve got me craving a big plate of them now, and it’s only 8:40am!
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These look delicious but I was wondering if you can make this with ground turkey and if it would work the same? My 5 year old son is allergic to beef and loves meatballs so it would be kind of mean for me to make them with beef.
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
Definitely!
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These look sooo good! I seriously wish I had some for breakfast right now!
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You’re so funny! You don’t do laundry ’til it smells.. baahhahahah :)
Are you supposed to roll the toothpaste from the bottom ?
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
Hmmm I don’t know, but I think it makes it easier.
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Could these be baked and then added to the sauce? I’d be afraid of too much grease being in the sauce.
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 2:34 pm
Probably, but I’m not sure if they would stay as moist? My sauce barely ended up with any grease but it depends on how lean your beef is!
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Runnergirl — May 8th, 2011 @ 3:22 pm
Thanks…I’ll try it your way! They are on the menu for tomorrow night! I’m vegetarian but the rest of the family will indulge!
I’m a jarred pasta sauce girl too.
And I shove Fruit Roll Up wrappers in the crack of the recliner. I don’t know why, but it seems right at the time.
LOVE your little meatballs!! Such a good idea. I’m totally bookmarking these for the next time I make spaghetti.
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These meatballs look amazing! And so does your pasta…how the heck do you get it in one perfectly neat little swirly pile?
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Adorable. I cannot remember the last time I had a meatball, but those look adorable. Seriously, I am all about eating cute food and those totally qualify. I like making my own homemade sauce, but if I didn’t, it would be TJ’s all the way.
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I’m guilty of eating both chex and pretzels. I will dig until there are no more. Oh, and eating all of my boyfriend’s cereal stash.
And meatball subs are awesome.
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These look incredible! I can’t wait to make them! Your pictures are great too by the way! What camara do you use?
-Emily
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Jessica — May 6th, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
Thanks! Nikon D5000.
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Ooo~ Love how you made these! I didn’t know you could make meatballs like this! Your plate of spag and meatballs look PERFECT!
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Meatballs never let me down.
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Mini sized food is my favorite. It totally justifies an increase in consumption :)
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i just want to eat every damn thing you put on your page. the boyf would die if i made meatballs on Sunday. you are slowly, unknowingly, making the boyf love me more. thanks jess ;)
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