Mini Meatball Sandies Recipes

MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl or mixer, thoroughly mix the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, eggs, garlic, onion and some salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Shape into meatballs and place on a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake 30 minutes for medium or 25 minutes for bite-size. Stick toothpicks in the finished meatballs to serve as an appetizer.

MINI MEATBALL CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler with a rack in the middle position. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallot, a small pinch of salt and a splash of water and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
• Pour the buttermilk over the stale bread in a large bowl and let sit at room temperature until the bread soaks up most of the buttermilk, about 5 minutes. Lightly squeeze the excess buttermilk from the bread; discard the buttermilk but keep the bread in the bowl. Add the egg, parmesan, parsley, cooled cooked shallots and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl with the bread. Use your hands to stir the bread mixture together until it is well combined with no large pieces of bread. Add the ground beef and sausage and gently mix all the ingredients with your hands until just combined. (Do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will be tough.) Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or 2 leveled tablespoons as a measurement, scoop and form 24 meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet.
• Broil the meatballs until they are browned all over, 4 to 8 minutes, depending on your broiler. Lower the heat of the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, pour the tomato sauce into a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Gently nestle the browned meatballs in the sauce, cover and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat but keep the meatballs covered to stay warm while you make the crostini.
• Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Lightly brush the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on both sides of the bread slices. Bake until light golden brown around the edges and crispy throughout, 12 to 15 minutes, turning the bread slices halfway through the baking time.
• To serve, smear each crostini with a bit of the warm tomato sauce, then top with a meatball and basil.

MINI MEATBALL SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Mix the meat with the breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, salt and pepper, and knead the mixture together with you hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the meatballs between the onions and brown for 1 minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)
• Pour in the jar of marinara and shake the skillet gently to mix. Put on a lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
• When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. Place a handful of grated mozzarella on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun. Serve immediately!

MINI MEATBALL HEROES

Steps:

• To make the meatballs: Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, veal, and pork. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.
• Heat the oil in heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in 2 to 3 batches, add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Add the Marinara Sauce. Simmer over medium-low until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The meatball mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• To make the sandwiches: Spoon the hot meatballs with some sauce over the bottoms of the rolls. Place 1/2 slice provolone on top of meatballs and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spread more sauce over the roll tops, then fold the tops of the rolls over and serve.
• In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)