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Zilinski Meatballs in Sauce
Image Credit to ForDesigner
I know: the title of this recipe looks like it's straight out of a dirty comic. The first thing that comes to my mind, of course, is the hilarious SNL sketch, Schwetty Balls. The Zilinski Meatballs in Sauce is a great jumping off point for flavorful, moist meatballs and a subtly seasoned tomato sauce. While it's great on spaghetti, it's even better as the base for a meatball sandwich--just line a sandwich bun with provolone cheese, toast, and top with this recipe. It's great as leftovers and freezes well, too. But the best part is that it's a crock-pot recipe, so you can just dump everything in the crock and get things done while a fabulous dinner or lunch cooks itself!
Ingredients for Sauce
- 1½ c. chopped onion
- 1⁄8 minced garlic
- 1 (8oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (15oz) can traditional tomato sauce
- 2 c. water
- 2 TBS sugar
- 1⁄8 c. dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 TBS fresh ground pepper
- salt to taste
Ingredients for Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ c. italian bread crumbs
- 1⁄8 c. dried parsley
- ½ c. grated parmesan
- 1 TBS dried basil
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Place all the ingredients for sauce into your crock pot, mix them well, and turn the crockpot to HIGH.
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together with your hands. Roll the mix between your palms to form 1" meatballs. Put the meatballs in the crockpot, and push them with your finger such that they are just below the surface of the sauce.
- Cover the crockpot and cook for five hours. Use a turkey baster or large spoon to skim the fatty oil from the top of the sauce and remove the bay leaves.
- Cook for one hour more. Serve over spaghetti or as a meatball sub sandwich.
