Meatballs for Three Different Dinners #SundaySupper

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Meal prep is easy when you start with these scrumptious meatballs! It is so easy to put together three different dinners that your family will love. My yummy meatball recipe is made into three different sized meatballs for three different dinners. Prep once and you will have the basis for Meatballs and Zoodles (or spaghetti if you prefer), Meatball Heroes, and Italian Wedding Soup. Yum! All three of these recipes are family favorites!

Another great bonus to this meal prep is that this recipe if very easy on the pocketbook! We all know that ground beef is a very economical ingredient. I do amp up the flavor a bit by mixing the ground beef with ground pork, and veal. This is the way that my family really enjoys these dinners, but that being said, you can use any mixture of ground meat of your choosing. Ground turkey is equally yummy.

Meatballs for Three Different Dinners

The meatball recipe is the same for all three dinners. I roll large meatballs for the Meatballs and Zoodles, medium size meatballs for the Meatball Heroes, and smaller meatballs for the Italian Wedding Soup. It just seems to be better that way. All recipes start with…

The Best Ever Meatball Recipe

This is enough meatball mixture for all three recipes

Meatballs

Ingredients

• 2 yellow onions, grated
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 large eggs, whisked together
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 9 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground veal
• 1 pound ground pork

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ready three cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the first seven ingredients (onion, parsley, eggs, ketchup, garlic, salt, pepper). 
3. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs. mix well.
4. Add the four pounds of ground meat to the mixture. Using your hands mix well and until fully combined. Be careful not to over mix, and at the same time, mix it so that all of the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
5. Start forming meatballs. Large meatballs are about 1/4 cup of meat formed into a ball shape, the mediums are about 1 large heaping tablespoon formed into balls, and the small are about one large heaping teaspoon formed into balls. For my family and their tastes (and appetites), I made 12 large, 15 medium, and 35 small meatballs.
6. Bake the large meatballs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. Bake the medium meatballs at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
8. Bake the small meatballs at 350 degrees for 17 minutes
9. If you want your meatballs to get a little browner, put them under the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes of cook time.

Continue on with one of my three recipes and either refrigerate (for two days) or freeze the reminder meatballs for a later date.

If you freeze a batch of meatballs, thaw in the refrigerator before using. For the Zoodles and Heroes simply warm the meatballs in a saute pan over medium heat in the sauce. For the soup, just drop the thawed meatballs into the hot soup to reheat.

Meatballs and Zoodles

Ingredients

• 2-3 large meatballs per person
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 5 zucchini, spiralized
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2-3 garlic, diced
• Jar of really good pasta sauce

Directions

1. Add olive oil to large suate pan over medium heat.
2. Saute onion, mushroom, and garlic until onion is translucent and mushrooms have reduced.
3. Add zucchini zoodles and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove vegetables from pan.
5. Heat pasta sauce in pan.
6. Place zucchini and vegetables in bowls, add hot pasta sauce, top with large meatball(s), and sprinkle a bit more Parmesan cheese on top.
7. Enjoy!

Meatball Heroes

Ingredients

• Medium sized meatballs
• Hoagie sandwich rolls
• Pizza sauce (I use jarred)
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

1. Split sandwich rolls.
2. cover the bottom half with pizza sauce.
3. Place three meatballs on top of sauce, and add more sauce on top.
4. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
5. Place on cookie sheet and place under broiler for 2 minutes or until bread is toasty brown.
6. Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 3 carrots, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 10 cups of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup of orzo pasta
• 12 ounces of baby spinach, washed and trimmed
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. In a large stock pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened. This will take about 5 – 6 minutes.
3. Stir occasionally, getting the browned bites up from the bottom of the pan.
4. Add chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.
5. Once the stock is boiling add the orzo and cook for another 6 minutes.
6. Add small meatballs to the soup and heat throughly.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Place spinach in the bottom of soup bowls and ladle Italian Wedding Soup into bowls on top of spinach.
9. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

There you have it! One easy meatball recipe – that is totally divine! And you have the basis for three scrumptious meals. Meatballs freeze so well, last in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and are super economical. What is not to love?!?

We like to have the Meatballs and Zoodles for dinner one night, the Meatball Heroes two days later and the small meatballs for the soup go into the freezer. Then we can easily make up the soup a week or two later.

Meal prep has never been easier!

My friends at Sunday Supper are also all amazing chefs in their own kitchens with their own favorite meal prep recipes to share. Check out the great recipes below.Thank you to Christie of A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure for hosting this event!

Meal Prep Dinners

• Ham and Broccoli Meal Prep Bowls by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Make Ahead 7-Layer Salads in a Jar by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Make Ahead Bagel Sandwiches by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Marinated Chicken & Vegetables Sheet Pan (Low Carb) by My Life Cookbook
• Meatballs for Three Different Dinners by Positively Stacey
• One Easy Roast Chicken: Four Meals by Hardly A Goddess
• Slice and Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Stuffed Beef Roll Meal Prep Dinner by Sunday Supper Movement
• Vietnamese Banh Mi Pork by Caroline’s Cooking

The Sunday Supper Movement is committed to bringing our readers delicious recipes that encourage them to gather and eat together around the family table. Search for your favorite ingredients on our Sunday Supper website. Also check out the Sunday Supper Pinterest boards for plenty more ideas and inspiration.

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