Meatballs just like grandma used to make; seriously! You’ll love ’em. This recipe was given to me by my hubby’s Grandma Martha. It’s been in her recipe box so long that no one knows its exact origins. All we know is that it’s a surefire success. It gives you a light, fluffy meatball every time.
Meatballs are a real crowd pleaser with children. They are also a great complement to Challah Kugel or Potato Kugel Cups, as both go well with a gravy or marinara sauce. For dinner during the week, just boil up a pot of spaghetti, toss on the meatballs and you’re done.
Grandma’s Meatballs
Meatballs just like grandma used to make; seriously! You’ll love ’em. This recipe was given to me by my hubby’s Grandma Martha. It’s been in her recipe box so long that no one knows its exact origins. All we know is that it’s a surefire success. It gives you a light, fluffy meatball every time.
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 26-ounce jars prepared marinara sauce, divided
- ¼ cup seltzer
- ¼ cup dried minced onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat egg for 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef, 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, seltzer, onion flakes, bread crumbs, garlic powder, and pepper. Using clean hands, mix well but lightly.
- Pour remaining marinara from first jar into a 6-quart pot.
- Shape meat mixture into 16 medium-sized meatballs. As you are shaping meatballs, place them in the pot with the marinara sauce; make sure meatballs do not touch sides of pot.
- When you have a layer of meatballs, add another jar of sauce, and begin the next layer of meatballs.
- Cover with the remaining jar of sauce.
- Bring to boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour 20 minutes. Occasionally stir the meatballs very carefully, so they don’t fall apart and don’t burn on the bottom layer.
- Recipe Courtesy of QUICK & KOSHER Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing by Jamie Geller (Feldheim 2007) – BUY NOW
Delicious and sooooo easy to make!!!! Thx!!!!
Great to know, thanks.
I am short on time. Would using these ingredients minus the egg, seltzer and breadcrumbs be good as a bolognese type sauce?
You might want to saute a fresh chopped onions instead of the onion flakes to make the bolognaise and then it will be perfect.
Thanks. I ended up making it, even with the dried onions, the only thing I added was a can of chopped tomatoes, because it was somehow too sweet (never had that problem with the meatball version… strange but true). And of course I cooked the ground beef completely before adding the rest of the ingredients. It was a huge success!
I know the feeling – I love feedback 🙂 Will be a few weeks but will try to come back and comment here.
It’s not like we prefer it — just trying to watch the red meat consumption. OK will be trying this soon. Thank you SOOOOOOOO much!
I’d love to hear how it went. Best of luck!
I am so so so excited for this recipe. And I totally “hear” your note about not using lean ground beef and so I am guessing chicken or turkey would also be a no-go?? We are trying REALLy hard to cut down (and out) on the beef.
I haven’t tried it with chicken or turkey, but if you have had meatballs that way and like it, then I am sure it would be fine in this recipe. My butcher once recommended mixing beef and turkey 50-50 and I think I did try it and it turned out but it has been a while and I don’t remember the details.
Thanks sooooo much for sharing. So you form the meatballs – bake them for 15 mins – then add to slow cooker (with all else) and it will be OK on low for about 20 hours?!
Yes. That’s how to do it. It cooks for 20+ hours without a problem. I mentioned above to use half a tablespoon to form the meatballs, but you can also use a whole tablespoon too – it depends on how you like them. Also, I recommend *not* to use extra lean ground beef for the meatballs. I have tried regular and lean and they come out softer and tastier when using regular ground beef.
OMG you absolutely MUST!!! share the recipe – I tried to make slow cooker meatballs once for shabbos day and it was a total disaster!
Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
½ cup bread crumbs
½ onion, grated
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
Meatball directions:
Mix meatball ingredients. Use half tablespoon to form in to balls and bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes.
Sauce:
Meatballs (above recipe)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cups)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz) (optional)
1/2 lb ground beef (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
½ can (3 oz) tomato paste
½ Tablespoon dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
½ Tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sauce directions:
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In 12-inch skillet, saute onions, mushrooms, ground beef and garlic over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; drain.
3. Spoon mixture into slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients, including meatballs.
4. Cook on Low heat setting for 8 hours or for Shabbos until after daytime Kiddush and you are ready to eat.
If you prefer a meatier sauce then add more ground beef if you like it that way. I usually leave out the mushrooms and have also left out the ground beef from the sauce part too and it still turns out great. I usually cover and freeze what remains in the tomato paste can until I need it again. The recipe can also easily be doubled.
This looks nice. We have a “Slow Cooker Italian Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs” recipe which we use instead of chollent occasionally for Shabbos day time. Awesome with cold or room temperature spaghetti noodles which are warmed up by the sauce and meatballs (ein bishul achar bishul).
lol!!!!
Let us know how you liked/loved it!!!!
you are so right again!!!!!!!!!!
awwww…..MWAH! you’re sweet Jamie!!!!
also you can use instant mashed potatoe flakes as well
i know im a poor substitute for Jamie but yes, you can use matzo meal or even processed oatmeal or ground challah crumbs.
Don’t you ever say that again Annette!!!! You are the #1 member of our happy cooking community and I could not have answered this Q better myself!
trying out a recipe
Hi Jamie… this is more of a generic question. Do you find that Matzah meal can be substituted for bread crumbs for most recipes?