There is nothing in the world like making some homemade meatballs for your friends or family. I have the best memories of hanging out in my grandma’s kitchen while she fried some up, sneaking me one or two before Sunday supper.
The aromatic way they make your kitchen smell is just so darn good.
And the taste?
…fuhgeddaboudit. Savory, with a moist, rich interior – filled with a perfect blend of garlic, spices and cheese – wrapped in the best crispy exterior. Yum.
I’m going to share my grandmother’s recipe, except I’m adding a little gluten free / dairy free twist to it. If you know someone who can’t have dairy, you might want to try substituting pecorino romano for parmesan. In Italian, “pecorino” means “sheep,” so most people suffering from lactose or dairy allergy issues should be able to have it. (Just check with them first to be safe.)
Also… If you don’t have any dairy or gluten restrictions, then feel free to use regular white bread in the recipe.
For some reason people are intimidated by Italian dishes, but I’ll let you in on a little secret…
Meatballs are SUPER easy to make. Like all you need is a few minutes to prep them then you can either bake them or fry them up and that’s it. If you opt for baking them, you can always sauté them for a minute or two when they come out of the oven for that crispy, outer texture.
Tip: if you’ve got some extra time I’d suggest doubling the recipe and freezing half for a later time. You can use them on subs, pasta, and pizza. I love slicing up my leftover meatballs and putting them on my pizza with some jalapeños. The spicy heat of the roasted jalapeños with the savory meatball are to DIE for. Your mouth will thank you.
Before I start daydreaming of pizza, here’s what you’ll need for your meatballs:
Authentic Italian Meatballs (Gluten free and dairy free)
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 6 Tablespoons Pecorino Romano (or any grated cheese, I just use sheep’s milk because of my dairy allergy.)
- 2 Tablespoons Parsely
- 1 Tablespoon basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground pepper (a few shakes)
- 4 slices of GF bread soaked in water & squeezed dry. (I use Udi’s white bread, and it’s fantastic.)
- Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the meat and all the seasonings to a large bowl.
- I quickly run each slice of bread under the water in the sink then press dry with a paper towel. (This helps to keep your meatballs nice and moist while they’re cooking.)
- Rip bread into small 1/2 - 1/4 inch pieces and add to bowl with meat and spices.
- Mix with your hands until seasoning, eggs, meat, and bread are all evenly spread throughout.
- Grab some meat (about 2 Tablespoons) and roll between your palms to form meatballs.
- Fry meatballs on a medium heat, turning when they’re golden brown on each side.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate and serve over your favorite pasta, pizza, or sandwich!
August 20, 2015 at 12:10 pm
Love both the meatballs and the picture of you and Grandma Victoria!!! Brings back lots of happy memories :)))))
August 22, 2015 at 5:19 pm
I could go for some of her lemon meringue pie right about now 🙂