Name: Baked Meatballs
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces ground pork butt; 8 ounces ground lamb shoulder; 8 ounces ground beef round; 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained; 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese; 1 large egg; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Alton Brown's baked meatballs blend ground beef, pork, & lamb with spinach and Parmesan to create a flavorful accompaniment to pasta or soup.

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Course: Mains

Keyword: Appetizers, Baked Meatballs, Comfort Food, Entertaining, Game Day, Make-Ahead, Meats, Weeknight Dinner

Baked Meatballs

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

Yield: 20 meatballs

A triple-meat blend is the secret to these always-moist baked meatballs, the ultimate culinary multitaskers for carnivores.

They can be small or big. They can be built upon beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, or any combination thereof including fish. They can be stuffed or coated, lavishly seasoned or simply salted, and when it comes time to meet the heat, meatballs can be roasted, baked, simmered, sautéed, braised, fried, or grilled.

I often make up big batches of these guys, bake ’em, cool and freeze ’em in muffin pans, then transfer to heavy-duty zip-top bags for storage. They’ll keep for up to six months and can be revived simply by simmering for a few minutes in a pot of sauce or soup.

This recipe first appeared in Season 9 of Good Eats.

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8 ounces ground pork butt
8 ounces ground lamb shoulder
8 ounces ground beef round
5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Specialized Hardware

Digital kitchen scale
miniature muffin tin

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

Yield: 20 meatballs

Procedure

Heat oven to 400ºF.
Combine the pork, lamb, beef, spinach, cheese, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Use immediately or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Place the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs into a small bowl. Cover a scale with plastic wrap, weigh meatballs into 1 1/2-ounce (43-gram) portions, and place on a half-sheet pan. Using clean hands, shape the meatballs into rounds, roll in the breadcrumbs, and place in miniature muffin tin cups. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes.