Homemade Meatballs

My husband has been begging me for a soft homemade meatball for years. This recipe turned out amazing, they are nice and tender, but won't fall apart. One batch makes 50+ meatballs (depending on size). These can be simmered in sauce, frozen for later, etc. I freeze them after cooking to use as needed for quick meals.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 372 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup whole milk
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 large eggs eggs, beaten
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 3 cups finely chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 loaf fresh Italian bread, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons Celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning (such as Penzeys)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease rimmed baking sheets lightly.

Step 2

Heat bacon fat in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in the hot pan until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 3

While mixture cools, cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally. Scoop out the white bread, leaving a boat-like shell of crust; save crust for pizza bread or garlic toast. Tear white bread into pieces (should yield 5 to 6 cups) and place into a bowl.

Step 4

Combine milk, chicken broth, and eggs in a bowl. Pour over the torn bread. Mash bread into small pieces with your fingers. Stir in cooled onion and garlic; mix well. Add parsley, salt, Worcestershire, mustard, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Mix very well.

Step 5

Combine ground beef and sausage in a large mixing bowl using your hands. Add bread mixture, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well with your hands between each addition, until all is combined evenly.

Step 6

Form meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Step 7

Bake until meatballs are browned and no longer pink in the centers, about 30 minutes.