Its a cold, overcast, gray and ugly day here in Virginia this morning… and the perfect day to have a pot of spaghetti sauce with homemade meatballs simmering on the stove!  Maybe I should serve them up with the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” movie for my granddaughter!  LOL!

Well, mine are actually in the oven so that I can work without worrying about anything sticking, but at the end of the day this is going to taste as wonderful as it SMELLS!

The recipe is an old family one and I am happy to share it with all of  our Cookbook Club members! These meatballs are so good that my “kids” use them as the “benchmark” for ALL meatballs!  You see, some “meatballs” are a culinary and taste delight, while others are what they refer to as “balls of meat”.  Just the right blend of ingredients put my meatballs over the TOP!

I hope they find their way onto YOUR table too!  Just CLICK on the LINK below for my recipe!What You NEED for approximately 40 Meatballs:

• 2# Ground Beef [85 or 90% is best]
• 4 Eggs [I usually have large in the house]
• 1 Cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 4 Slices of Wet Bread [you just dunk whatever bread you prefer into lukewarm water to saturate, squeeze out excess and squish the gooey bread through your fingers into the bowl - do not use tough crusts or sweet breads, but other than that use up whatever bread you happen to have in the house that fits the bill - day old actually works better than super soft fresh bread
• 4 Cloves Garlic - minced
• 3 Tbsp Dried Parsley
• 5 Tbsp Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese [or combo of both]
• 2 tsp Salt [I use Kosher but regular table salt is fine too]
• 1 tsp Pepper [fresh ground is best if you have it]

What You NEED to DO:

1. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl mixing thoroughly
2. Roll into balls
3. Place raw meatballs on a large round platter that is microwavable* starting in the center and working out to the edges
4. Place platter in microwave and cook approximately 6 to 8 minutes until all the meatballs are browned; if the ones on the edges are cooking faster than the ones in the center of the platter you can remove them to your sauce earlier as they finish
5. Add your meatballs to your marinara spaghetti sauce and cook in the sauce so that they are just slightly simmering for a couple of hours while your sauce cooks too – as I mentioned before I put my pot of sauce & meatballs in my oven so I don’t have to worry so much about anything sticking; I usually have the oven around 325/335°F so it just simmers slightly, I just want it to cook, not cook apart.  Ovens vary so just look for it to bubble slightly at the edges.
6. If you are okay with a little extra fat in your sauce the real trick to making your spaghetti sauce sing is to drain a little of the fat left on your meatball platter [once they are cooked] into the sauce and stir that in… that’s the real Italian influence!
7. EAT and ENJOY!

*If you do not have a microwave you can certainly sauté  the raw meatballs on top of the stove until just lightly browned, OR you can pop them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven or under your broiler to brown.  Whatever you find easiest for YOU is fine.  I have done it each way and the final result is not affected by this… I use the microwave because its quicker and easier for me.

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Video On Demand – Features : ISBN13: 0043396215665Condition: NEWNotes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. DescriptionCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs tells the…

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