I hope someone can give me some suggestions here. After my daughter's wedding, there was a ton of leftover meatballs (they were appetizers). They have been frozen, but we are sick of just spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce. Does anyone have some imaginative recipes that will incorporate cooked meatballs? Please help. I dread being invited over to dinner at her house, because I know what's on the menu.
By cettina from Malta, Europe
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We like to make meatball subs. Use nice sub sandwich bread or a baguette and place the meatballs and sauce on the bottom. Then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, etc. and broil for a min. or two in the oven. This is one of my favorite meals!
We heat frozen meatballs in barbecue sauce for a different flavor. I've also been known to cut meatballs in halves or quarters and add them to soups (they're great in a minestrone-type soup) or in lasagnas in place of the ground beef or Italian sausage.
Ditto on the meatball sub or grinder sandwiches. Or a pita bread type sandwich. I just saw a show on tv where a mom & pop restaurant made meatballs and then smashed them and put them in chili. Supposedly gives it a different taste than just cooking the crumbled raw ground meat and then cooking and adding.
Dipped in a cheese fondue would be good. Depending on the size of them slicing and putting on top of a pizza might be good.
Here are some more ideas:
102 recipes using frozen meatballs:
www.recipezaar.com/
busycooks.about.com/
What about sharing with someone less fortunate that you? Perhaps a soup kitchen, a family who is out of work, elderly who can't cook for themselves, etc. Everyone comes out a winner!
If they're not frozen in spaghetti sauce, you can serve them with brown gravy from a packet, like meat loaf or salisbury steak.
If they aren't frozen in sauce, you can put them in a sauce made of chili sauce (tomato based) and grape jelly, and simmer on low to make a really tasty cocktail meatball. That's how I used mine from my wedding. They're good with a stroganoff-type sauce over noodles or rice also.
Could they be threaded onto shish kebobs with veggies like bell pepper and onion and grilled while basting with a sweet and sour sauce? This might be a fun use.
About.com's Busy Cooks section often features uses for frozen meatballs. Here's the link to recipes for casseroles, soups, etc: busycooks.about.com/
I like to make Swedish Meatballs. Use one container of sour cream, and one jar of Brown gravy. (the powdered gravy will work too, but prepare according to the directions first). I add a little onion and cook in crock pot. Serve as an appetizer or over noodles.
Use them for Swedish Meatballs. Mix 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup and 1 can Evaporated Milk together and add meatballs. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. These are really good!
Take jumbo shells and cook just until tender. If meatballs are large, cut in half and insert one into each jumbo shell. Place in pan and pour spaghetti sauce, of your choice, over all.
If not frozen in the sauce I would think you could make Italian Wedding Soup. It contains meatballs, orzo & kale usually. I know you could find a good recipe for it online and the big plus...no more red sauce.
Cut them in fourths, sprinkle a little Mexican spice on them & use them in taco salad, or you can add them to your favorite nacho recipe. You can probably use them in Tater Tot casserole too. Just Google recipes for Tater Tot casserole and make the one that looks good.
Ask around and see if she could trade some of the meatballs for other food. Or feed a church youth group with some of them. If you freeze them in sauce or gravy, they will last a long time frozen.
I especially like the (above) shish kabob with sweet/sour sauce (maybe with rice or pasta and fruit. Also, meatballs with a yoghurt/cucumber/onion or garlic sauce on pita. Such a pity for you that they weren't all eaten. One never hopes for a power outage but maybe a few gentle hints about giving them to the less fortunate would solve your situation. Best wishes.
Thanks for the suggestions. This may come as a surprise to many of you, but although Malta is not a rich country by any means, there is no such thing as the truly destitute. Everyone has enough to live and get by with here. The social assistance structure seems to work well here plus the fact that the (very wealthy) Catholic church offers much help and assistance.
Melt 3T butter in sauce pan. Stir in 2T all-purpose flour. While stirring with a whisk, slowly add 1 beef bouillion cube dissolved in 1 1/4 cups water. Keep stirring until gravy thickens and bubbles. Add meatballs, cover and cook slowly at least 30 minutes.
I double or triple this recipe so I can have extra gravy for mashed potatoes. Another way to use meatballs: put meatballs on a hoagie roll with a little spaghetti sauce and melt your choice of cheese on top. (Provolone is good!)
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