Michael Carbone

Meatballs are something I make almost every single week because they're: -High protein -Easy to make a big batch and freeze -Delicious -Lots of different things you can do with them Here are 6 of my favorites: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Ingredients: 1 lb ground chicken 1 egg 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup diced celery 1 garlic clove Salt & pepper to taste Buffalo sauce (i like primal kitchen for this) Add everything to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Bake or air fry the meatballs at 400 for 15-20 minutes, flipping half way Toss in some buffalo sauce, dip in some primal kitchen ranch and enjoy! Classic Italian meatballs: Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (80/20 is ideal). You can also use a blend with ground veal and ground pork! 1/4 Cup of Ricotta 1 Egg 3 tbsp chopped parsley 1/3 Cup breadcrumbs 1/3 Cup parmesan cheese 3 cloves of Garlic, finely minced Salt Crushed red pepper (to taste) Mix well then form your meatballs Roast at 425 for 10 minutes per side You can also fry them, then finish in the sauce! CAVA Lamb Meatballs Ingredients: 1 pound ground lamb or beef 1 tbsp parsley, finely minced 1 tbsp cilantro, finely minced Optional: some chopped fresh mint 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced 4 tbsp harissa or to taste 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ginger (fresh or ground) 1 tsp ground coriander powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 tsp ground turmeric I prefer to cook these on the grill like little burgers, but you can also cook them on a pan or roast them! Sweet & Spicy Chicken Meatballs: Ingredients: 1 lb ground chicken ¾ cup panko (I use gluten free) 1 egg 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ tsp paprika ½ tsp onion powder ¾ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Sauce: ¼ cup hot sauce ½ cup honey 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar Pinch of salt ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional) Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool and thicken. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs, and mix lightly by hand. Be careful not to mix too much (ground chicken gets slimy: don’t be alarmed!). Roll into 1-2 inch meatballs, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for about 12-15 minutes, or until they reach 165 degrees internally. Flip halfway through. When the meatballs have a few minutes left in the oven, use a brush to coat them with the sauce, then place them back in the oven to finish. When finished, drizzle more sauce on top and enjoy! Mediterranean Meatballs: Ingredients: 1 lb ground meat of choice (beef or lamb are best but can also use turkey) 4oz feta cheese (around 1 cup) ½ cup spinach, chopped ½ cup red onion, chopped 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped ¼ cup gluten free panko 1 egg 1 tsp salt ½ tsp oregano ½ tsp black pepper Combine all ingredients well and roll into around 2oz meatballs. Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes (flipping halfway) or air fry at 400 degrees for 12 minutes (flipping halfway), or until they are cooked through. I believe these come out best in the air fryer! Serve with tzatziki and enjoy! Korean BBQ Meatballs: Ingredients: Meatballs 1 lb ground beef (I recommend 85/15 or 80/20) 2 tsp gochujang 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos (I like organic, gluten free Tamari) 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish) 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Glaze 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 3/4 cup beef broth or water 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 tbsp gochujang 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp Sriracha 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water Add the ground beef to a bowl with gochujang, salt, pepper, soy sauce, breadcrumbs and green onions. Spread everything evenly over the surface. Mix by hand until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450F. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 equal meatballs and place them in a cast iron skillet. Bake for about 15 minutes until nicely browned, flipping half way. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Drain all but about 1 tsp of grease from the skillet. Set the skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze with the rice vinegar and soy sauce. Stir in the brown sugar, beef broth, and gochujang. Add the sesame oil and Sriracha. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about a third. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk the slurry into the sauce. Keep simmering until the sauce has reduced to about half. Add the meatballs back into the skillet and baste generously with the sauce. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, basting the whole time, until the meatballs are heated through and well coated. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.