7 Delicious Meatballs Recipes Everyone Will Love

Giorgio's Meatballs Recipe
Giorgio's Meatballs Recipe

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Swedish meatballs can be served as a main course, traditionally with boiled potatoes, lingonberry jam, and cucumber salad. Although called "Swedish," meatballs having this same type of flavoring can be found throughout Scandinavia and other Northern European countries. They also make terrific finger food or cocktail hors d'oeuvre served on toothpicks. They reheat very well and, in fact, the flavor is even better after an overnight rest in the fridge.

Click here to see the Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Appetizer Meatballs Recipe

Meatballs are the perfect nibble to serve during the game - whether on toothpicks, sandwich rolls, or a pizza (yep, we said it). This recipe uses an easy meat blend and pairs it with a barbecue sauce made of ingredients you probably have stored in your pantry.

Click here to see the Appetizer Meatballs Recipe

Meatball Parm Recipe

This is how the classic meatball parm should be done. There's nothing difficult about it; all you need to do is construct with tender loving care. This is how it's done at Parm, located in New York City.

Click here to see the Meatball Parm Recipe

Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Spaghetti and meatballs is the ultimate comfort dish, nothing lets someone know how much you care about them more than presenting them with a bowl of the homemade stuff. I am such a meatball fanatic, in fact, that I wrote my college admissions essay about them (not a joke).

Coming from a traditional Italian heritage, it is a time-honored tradition in the Aronica family to pass down this very meatball recipe from generation to generation -- my dad loves to tell the story of the day his father said to him, "Son, today you learn to make the meatballs". The trick to making this meatball recipe is that the consistency is all about how it feels. The ratio of breadcrumbs and water to meat are difficult to quantify since it varies from batch to batch. Be conservative with both to begin with and then add more later if the consistency seems off.

Click here to see the Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Sal's Old-School Meatballs Recipe

When we asked Marc Vetri about his thoughts on meatballs, he replied, "My father instilled three things in me [growing up]: 1) Always work for yourself - no matter what; 2) Always have integrity - you are only as good as your word; 3) Always use veal, pork, and beef in meatballs. Life is really that simple!"

We're glad Vetri follows the same mantra as Lomonaco when it comes to his meatballs. He also suggested a great make-ahead tip if you're trying to prep in advance. Meatballs can be rolled in flour and frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet, and then stored in a freezer bag for up to two months.

Click here to see Sal's Old-School Meatballs Recipe

Giorgio's Meatballs Recipe (pictured above)

This meatball recipe comes from Michael Ferraro of Delicatessen, and it was passed down from his father, who taught him how to make them at a very young age. When Ferraro joined the team at Delicatessen in 2008, he invited his father into the restaurant to give a lesson to the entire kitchen staff for how to perfect this sacred family recipe. When Ferraro makes meatballs, he soaks his breadcrumbs in a stock instead of milk.

Click here to see Giorgio's Meatballs Recipe

Meatball Sub Recipe

These meatball subs (or heroes/hoagies, whatever you grew up calling them) are one of my favorite comfort foods. For some reason, I haven't been able to find a place near me that makes them the way I want, so this is my homemade version. You don't have to make them into a sub if you don't want. Just eat them the Italian way, on their own -- but maybe with a hunk of bread to dip in the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

For the tomato sauce:

Extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 boxes Pomi-brand tomatoes, 1 chopped and 1 strained (or you can use two 28-ounce cans of chopped tomatoes).
Pinch of red chile flakes (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the meatballs:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon good-quality salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup breadcrumbs, preferably Panko
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 glove garlic, minced
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup cold water
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying

For the sub:

2 loaves of bread, either a crusty French baguette or rustic Italian bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh mozzarella

-The Daily Meal