Our house was always a stopping point for friends and family who lived close by, so it is no surprise that I was raised to prepare quick, delicious snacks and appetizers for unexpected guests. My family had a huge list of different items that could be put together quickly for events that offered little or no time to prepare.
One of them was this little no fuss meatball. My dad created the recipe using a few pantry ingredients that most of us have on hand and created this moist and flavorful bite size meatball. One of his tricks to ensure the perfect texture was to use a large, coarse grind of meat.
This little meatball may not replace those you might make if you had a little more time to chop and sauté your onions, poach garlic in warm oil, chop an array of fresh herbs while soaking your bread milk and preparing your secret combination of ground meats, but these make a perfectly delicious substitution when you are trying to get something on the table quickly. Any leftovers make delicious additions to soups or a pasta sauce and even a delicious topping on some homemade pizza.
The recipe uses no eggs or bread crumbs, so you could say that it’s also perfect for a paleo diet. Another little trick is to use a good quality mayo with eggs as an ingredient. My family used to make their own mayo at home, but I have found that Duke’s mayo is a great substitution. In fact, it’s the only one that I buy if I don’t have time to make my own. Try the recipe and make sure to make a big, big pile.
No Fuss Meatballs
1 lb coarse ground beef
5 teaspoons Duke’s mayo
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2-4 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil (drizzle on top before baking)
NOTE: If you don’t have dried oregano and dried basil on hand, just add an extra teaspoon of dried parsley.
Grease an 8” x 8” baking dish and set aside then pre-heat your oven to 425°F. Add everything into a medium sized bowl (except the oil) and toss everything gently together until just mixed.
Use a small scoop and portion out meatballs into the baking dish. Drizzle the oil over all of the meatballs and put the baking dish into the oven.
The meatballs will bake for about 20-25 minutes. About half way through the cooking time, remove the dish from the oven and pour off any liquid that has collected at the bottom of the dish. Use a fork to flip over the meatballs and then place the dish back into the oven. Remove when they are evenly golden brown all over and serve immediately. If you have a little extra time you can always fry them, but this works so well, why bother!
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