Favorite Meatball Stew Recipes

SPEEDY MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes for 10 mins until tender. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Season the meatballs, then brown them all over for about 5 mins. Remove from the pan, drain off any excess fat, then add the onion, garlic and rosemary. Fry gently for 5 mins.
• Add passata to the pan, bring to a simmer, then add the meatballs. Simmer for 5 mins or until everything is cooked through. Add the potatoes and peas, then simmer for 1 min. Pack into a flask or reheat at work, add Parmesan, if using, and eat with good crusty bread.

THE BEST MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)

BONNIE'S ITALIAN STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• For the meatballs:
• Pour the milk over bread and soak to soften.
• Place the meat in a mixing bowl and add the cheese, EVOO, fennel, crushed red pepper, garlic, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and crumble into crumbs as you add it to the meat. Combine the meatball mix and roll into 2-inch balls. Place the meatballs on nonstick baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray and roast until browned but not fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes.
• For the stew:
• Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and bay, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and stir until fragrant. Add the beef stock and tomatoes, then break up the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the basil, potatoes and meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to medium, partially cover and cook 10 minutes. Add the green beans and cook 7 to 8 minutes more.
• Serve, or cool completely and store for make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium-low flame, partially covered, stirring occasionally (or reheat in a 325 degree F oven) until sauce is bubbly.
• To serve, top shallow bowls of stew with cheese and an extra drizzle of EVOO.

MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, chopped onion, salt, marjoram and thyme. Crumble beef over the top and mix well. Shape into 24 meatballs. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Brown meatballs in batches; drain. , Add the soup, broth, potatoes, carrots and whole onions. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Garnish with parsley.

CAJUN MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• In heavy dutch oven (preferably cast iron or cast aluminum), heat oil over medium high heat. Add flour. Stir, constantly, until flour is dark brown, being very careful not to burn. Flour should be almost the color of chocolate syrup. This is your roux, which is the base of your gravy.
• To the flour mixture, add 2 cups of the chopped onion, 1 cup of the bell pepper and 1/2 cup of the celery. Reduce heat to medium, cooking until onions are transparent. Add enough water or beef broth to fill pot 2/3 of the way. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• While this is cooking, make meatballs by combining ground chuck, remaining onions, bell pepper, and celery, 2 cloves of the minced garlic, eggs, milk, worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of the parsley, bread crumbs, and salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well.
• Form into whatever size meatballs you prefer. I like to make mine about 1 1/2 - 2" round. One trick to making tender meatballs is not to pack the meat too firmly. Just form them enough for them to hold together. Also, do not pre-cook the meatballs after rolling.
• Add meatballs to the gravy. DO NOT STIR FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES! Stirring them will break them apart. Cook over medium low heat until gravy is desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and cayenne pepper. Skim as much of the fat as you can off of the top.
• Stir in remaining garlic, parsley, and chopped green onions. Cook for 5 minutes longer.
• Serve over hot cooked rice. I usually serve this with a side of early green peas or corn, and a fruit salad of some kind, such as pineapple, topped with grated cheddar cheese.
• As for the prep and cooking times, I just took a wild guess. Hehe!

FAVORITE MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, cheese and pepper. Crumble beef, pork and veal over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls., Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink., Place the meatballs, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a Dutch oven. In a small bowl, combine soup mix and water; pour over meatball mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas and parsley; heat through.

FRENCH CANADIAN MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spread flour out in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet.
• Roast the flour in the preheated oven until medium brown in color, 10 to 15 minutes; stir often and watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove the flour from the baking sheet immediately once the desired color has been reached; set aside in a shallow bowl to cool.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir the spice mix into the onion. Place ground pork, parsley, egg, and bread crumbs into the bowl, and mix to combine thoroughly. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs; roll each meatball in the roasted flour. Reserve unused flour.
• Pour the chicken broth into the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, and carefully drop in the meatballs, a few at a time, stirring to keep them from sticking on the bottom. Drop in the bay leaf. Simmer the meatballs for 20 minutes; mix in the potatoes, and simmer until potatoes are tender and the broth has reduced, an additional 20 minutes. Transfer the meatballs into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Mix remaining roasted flour with cold water in a cup, and gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering broth to thicken. Bring the gravy to a full boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Return the meatballs to the stew, and serve.

HEARTY ITALIAN MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• In a small bowl soak the bread in the milk for about 5 minutes, then squeeze out moisture and crumple into small bits.
• In a medium bowl combine the bread with ground beef, eggs, parmesan and spices gently mix to combine well (I use my clean hands, its the best way to do it). Form into small balls ( a little smaller than the size of a golf ball). In a medium frying pan on medium heat, add the olive oil and the meatballs, brown them on all sides. Remove to a clean plate.
• In a large pot add the oil, garlic and chopped shallot (or small onion), cook on medium heat until transparent 1-2 minutes. Then add the carrots, potatoes, tomato puree, water and spices, mix together, then add the meatballs, and gently stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, place the lid on the pot but don't completely cover, continue to cook on low heat until thickened about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy!

HEARTY MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Place the bread and 3 tablespoons water into a medium bowl. Mash to a paste with a spatula. Add the beef, sausage, egg, parsley, salt and pepper. Blend the mixture thoroughly with your hands or a flexible spatula. Form the mixture into 10 to 16 meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until ready to use.
• For the hearty meatball stew: Sprinkle the meatballs with the flour and turn to coat with any flour still on the foil. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Drop the meatballs into the skillet, spaced apart. Cook until the bottoms are set and brown, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible thin spatula, turn each meatball onto an uncooked side and cook until the bottoms are set and brown, about 2 minutes longer. Turn and cook a third side, until set and brown, about another 2 minutes, so the meatballs are browned and set all over. Transfer the meatballs to a large plate.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until soft, 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED SLOW COOKER MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs with the dried minced onion, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Add the meat and mix with your hands to blend thoroughly.
• Shape the meat mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Arrange the meatballs in the hot oil and cook for about 15 minutes, frequently turning to brown all sides.
• While the meatballs are browning, prepare the vegetables. Peel the potatoes, if desired, and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel the carrots and slice them into 1/2-inch rounds. Chop the celery and onion.
• Put the potatoes, carrots, and celery in the slow cooker. With a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the browned meatballs to the slow cooker.
• Put the onions in the same skillet used for the meatballs. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook the onions until they have browned, or about 5 minutes. The caramelization from the onions adds flavor to the dish. If you're short on time, skip this step.
• In a bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soup and tomato soup. Stir to blend. Pour the soups over the meatballs and vegetables.
• Cover the pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or about 3 to 4 hours on high. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
• Serve the meatballs stew with crusty French bread or hot baked buttermilk biscuits . For a well-rounded meal, add some simply dressed greens or a tossed salad .