One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can make these ahead and freeze them for any future meals you are planning! Who doesn’t like the ease of having less to do when you actually plan ahead?! (ME!!)
For most things, I am a BIG TIME planner. I like knowing what I may need for the next few weeks in terms of meals and go bargain shopping for prices on different ingredients. It not only saves you a BUNCH of time but, it saves you money AND it also helps you plan meals so that you aren’t just throwing together chicken nuggets and fries for dinner. I found that once I started to make it a habit to meal plan and meal prep, it takes the guesswork out of the age old question…. “What’s for dinner?” (or lunch or a snack or breakfast…yes I have even meal prepped breakfast options)
Ok, back to the meatballs… Aside from making them a great freezer option, you can make them for ANY dish. When you think of meatballs, sometimes your mind tends to wander to most Italian dishes but, you can save these for anything really. You can go with the good old spaghetti and meatballs or a ziti with meatballs (which is one of my favorites) or even an Italian Wedding soup! You can also use them for an appetizer (throw the cooked meatballs in a crock pot and pour some BBQ sauce over them!), in a ginger coconut soup, in a stroganoff, as a slider, make them with some teriyaki sauce and serve over rice, on a pizza, SO MANY MORE OPTIONS!! Give these a try and let me know how you like them!
Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs
Equipment
- Saute Pan
- Oven or Air Fryer
- Baking Sheet and Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs Ground Beef
- 1 Cup Plain Breadcrumbs You can use regular or panko or even a mixture of both
- 1/2 Cup Diced Onions or Shallots
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Each Salt and Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
Instructions
- Heat your Saute pan over medium low heat, heat 1 tsp olive oil, add your onions and saute until slightly translucent and soft (not brown) (about 2 min), season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Next, add in the garlic and saute for another 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside
- **Now Preheat your oven to 390°F or if you are using an Air Fryer, preheat according to the instructions on your particular model.
- In a small bowl, combine your breadcrumbs and milk together. Let soak until most of the milk is absorbed
- Next, place your ground beef into a bowl and season with rest of salt and pepper, mix together using your hands. Add in the sauteed onions and garlic and mix together.
- Now add in the soaked breadcrumbs and parsley. Combine well.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with a small amount of olive oil, just so that the meatballs don't stick.
- Using a 3 oz scoop, form the meatball into a tight and smooth ball and place on baking sheet. If you don't have a 3 oz scoop, you can use a tablespoon to measure our the meat. Just make sure they are about the same size to ensure even cooking times.
- If you are baking them, place in your preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outside is golden brown. Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool completely before placing them in an airtight storage container for the freezer.
- If using an air fryer, make sure it is preheated. Place meatballs in basket (making sure not to overcrowd the container and allow for even cooking) and cook at the temperature for your particular model indicates for beef until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F and the outside is golden brown. Remove and continue cooking the meatballs in batches. Let the cooked meatballs cool completely before placing them in an airtight storage container.
- Serve them in your favorite dish! I personally love making them in a baked ziti like this one.
