Meatballs Three Ways: Meatball Base Recipe

One recipe, endless meatball magic! Why settle for one type of meatball when you can have three? This versatile base is your all-access pass to meatball greatness, whether you’re making bite-sized dumplings, hearty sliders, or roasted entrée perfection. Think of it as your meatball starter pack—perfectly seasoned, easy to customize, and destined to make dinner the best part of your day. Pro tip: Nutmeg in the mix? That’s the little secret you didn’t know you needed.

Ingredients

1 cup torn pieces of stale, good-quality white bread, packed
Milk
1 pound ground beef
2/3 pound ground pork
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 egg
A generous handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
A generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
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Directions

In a small bowl, soak the bread pieces in milk to soften.

Place the meats in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cheese. Squeeze the excess liquid from the bread pieces and crumble them into the bowl. Add the nutmeg, egg, parsley and olive oil and mix well to combine. Form balls according to your method of choice for Rachael's Mini Meatball Dumplings, Meatball Sliders or Roasted Entrée Meatballs.