Baby, it's cold outside, so what better time to make a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs! Although I would eat it any time of the year! Consider making it for your family or sweetheart on Valentine's Day. ❤️
My mother was a fabulous cook and hostess. I like to think that I take after her just a little in this respect. 😁 She could cook anything, and she loved to host a party. I remember her annual Christmas party that was always after Christmas. She would invite over 100 people, literally! She did all the cooking and decorating herself. The food was fantastic, with dishes served in every main room of the house. Hors d'oeuvres of every kind, roasted ham, stuffed fish, beautiful desserts and cocktails were everywhere you looked. I don't know how she did it, but she prepared weeks in advance. I learned that tip from her. Always prepare as much as you can ahead of time.
Well anyway, one of her most beloved dishes was her spaghetti and meatballs. She made these huge meatballs and cooked them in a huge pot of homemade spaghetti sauce all day long! Oh my goodness, after cooking for hours....well, it was and is the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever tasted!
This recipe takes a little time on the front end, but then you just leave it on the stove for hours. It is not difficult, you just have to be at home. Also, it serves a crowd. The recipe makes anywhere from 16 to 30 meatballs, so you can serve anywhere from 12 to 25 people depending on their appetites! Many times I make it the day before, then just heat it the next day. Leaving it overnight just improves the flavors and thickens the sauce.
*Note: I also have three leftover ideas, so be sure to check it out at the bottom of this blog post!
When I was a teenager I tried to get the recipe from my mom. She was one of those cooks who cooked by feeling and taste, and never really had a recipe for anything. This made her a great cook, but a poor teacher. My younger brother Rick and his girlfriend Lalita (now his wife) decided to follow my mom around in the kitchen one day while she was cooking the spaghetti and meatballs. They measured everything she put into the sauce and meatballs! I love that they took the time and energy to do that! Lalita still has that hand-written recipe that she wrote down when she was 16 years old!
This is a picture from after Rick's college graduation around 1988. Look at my Dad's sideburns!
This is a Polaroid picture, so it's not that great. I was trying to find a picture of my mom and me from around the time Lalita wrote down her recipe. It's a few years after. ❤️
*See a Prom picture of Rick and Lalita in 1984 -about the time Lalita wrote down the recipe....at the bottom of the page!😊
Lalita made my mom's spaghetti and meatballs last September when celebrating Connor's birthday. She still has the handwritten recipe that she wrote down when she was 16 years old.
It's so special that she is helping continue the family tradition by making my mom's recipe.❤️
When I was in my twenties, my mom told me the basics of the recipe. I remember she told me an old Italian lady gave her the recipe. My Italian neighbor tells me that it is probably not Italian since in Italy they eat meatballs separate from spaghetti, but who knows! I still like to think that an old Italian lady gave her the basic recipe!
Later- I found the basic recipe for her meatballs in an old Betty Crocker Cookbook that we had for years. She had starred the page. I think she made the recipe so often she forgot where she got it! However, she did have several major modifications to the recipe. She used Ritz Crackers instead of bread crumbs, and lots of cheese and parsley in her meatballs. In addition, she cooked the meatballs in a sauce that is a little sweet. When the meatballs cook all day in the sauce, all the flavors meld, and something magical happens. So Italian lady or not, it is still the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever tasted! Do they have Ritz Crackers in Italy!? lol!
I have added a couple of ingredients of my own, and I like to serve the dish with spaghetti noodles, and a choice of spaghetti squash for those people who are watching their carbs, and/or just love winter squash. The spaghetti squash can be a side dish, and/or a substitute for the spaghetti. You just cut the squash in half, rub with olive oil and add seasonings. Roast the squash in the oven flesh side down for about 35-40 minutes. Once cooked, take a fork and scoop out the squash. It naturally comes out looking like spaghetti, hence the name. 😁. Cool, right!?! I include the exact recipe in this blog post.
So let's get started!.....
Gather the Ingredients:
Tips and Recommendations:
I try to find Italian tomato sauce if possible. Be sure to use regular tomato sauce with nothing added. Or I use 4 or 5 cans of regular tomato sauce and one can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes (mash with a masher or your hands) and one large can of Italian tomato puree. Italian tomatoes are sweeter which requires less sugar added to the sauce. You can also use more cans of the San Marzano peeled tomatoes, but you will want to use an immersion blender to make sure the sauce is smooth. *See below.
You need a large stockpot to cook the sauce. It needs to be deep enough to easily fit all the meatballs. They will cook in the sauce for hours. Make sure the bottom is clean and not scratched up, or the meatballs may stick to the bottom. Spray the bottom of the pot with nonstick spray just to be sure. For a frame of reference, my pots are approximately 8 inches deep. You can use a shorter pot, but it needs to be wide enough to fit all the sauce and meatballs. I have found an 8-inch tall pot works best.
The meatballs: You can substitute bread crumbs for the Ritz crackers, but I never do. There is something about the buttery crackers that really add to the taste of the meatballs.
I like a lot of sauce. So I cook the sauce first and fill the large stockpot to 1 or 2 inches from the top. When I add the meatballs, I remove the extra sauce so the pot does not overflow. However, I save the sauce for later. The meatballs soak up the sauce. If you have leftovers, there always seem to be more meatballs than sauce. This way I always have enough spaghetti sauce. But if you are not a big sauce person like me, fill your stockpot with tomato sauce and leave about 4 inches to accommodate the meatballs.
I always try to add the rind of Parmesan cheese to the sauce. The rind flavors the sauce. Or add about a half cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to melt into the sauce.
I use a lower fat content of ground beef for health reasons, but my mom used hamburger meat that is around 80/20 fat content. Her meatballs do taste better, but when cooking the meatballs, the fat (grease) will come to the surface. Be sure to skim off the fat with a spoon and put it into an old glass jar you can later throw away. Never pour grease down the drain or it will clog your drain.
My mom used 4 pounds of ground beef when making the meatballs, which is great if you are serving an army! This will make around 30 meatballs or more! The recipe below is half of her recipe. It makes around 16 large meatballs. If I am serving a crowd, I will make the recipe below plus a half which will make around 24 meatballs. Occasionally, I will make her whole recipe....for a family reunion, for example! There is usually no need to increase the sauce; the meatballs always seem to fit! However, if you double the recipe, I may have one or two more 28-ounce cans of sauce on hand just in case.
You need to mix the meatballs with your clean hands when making meatballs. It is messy, but it is the best way to mix meatballs. Be sure to take off all your rings. My mom always taught me to taste the meatballs to be sure the seasoning was right. It was not a big deal to eat raw meat back in the day. I am originally from Wisconsin and I grew up eating Steak Tartare! But today, a better way is to take a small amount of the raw meatball mixture and cook it in a pan. Then taste it, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Ingredients and Directions
For the Sauce:
6 28-ounce cans of tomato sauce, enough to fill your stockpot to almost full.
12 or more large garlic cloves grated or minced, or 4 tablespoons of granulated garlic. I use fresh garlic cloves if possible, my mom used granulated garlic.
1/4 cup of grated onion (optional)
5-6 Bay leaves (Laurel)
2 teaspoons of dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon of oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons of salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of pepper or to taste
3 tablespoons of sugar or honey, and up to 5 tablespoons if not using Italian tomatoes
*Put all the ingredients in a large stockpot and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until slightly simmering. If bubbling too much, then lower the heat.
For the meatballs: (This will make approximately 16 meatballs. You can increase to 1 1/2 recipe to make 24 meatballs or even double the recipe if needed.)
2 pounds of ground beef
1 1/2 cups of Ritz crackers crushed
1/4 cup of grated onion (optional)
1/4 cup of dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
3/4 cup of powdered parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
*Mix thoroughly with your hands, and roll into large meatballs that will fit into a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Try not to overwork the meatballs, or they may be tough. Spray your hands with cooking spray to help with the stickiness. If the meatballs are too soft, add more Ritz crackers and cheese. If they seem too firm, add a little more milk.
Specific Directions with pictures:
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a large stockpot. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes before adding meatballs.
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**Note: If you are using whole tomatoes in the sauce- you will want to use an immersion blender to make sure the sauce is smooth.
*Add the spices, bay leaves, and parmesan
rind after you blend the tomatoes.
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2. Add the rind of Parmesan cheese to the sauce to add flavor. Be sure to remove the rind before serving. Also, remember to remove the Bay leaves before serving!
3. Crush the Ritz crackers in a plastic zip-lock bag or use a food processor.
4. Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Use clean hands to mix. I know...but you can do it!
5. Roll into large balls that will fit into a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Spray your hands with cooking spray to make rolling the meatballs easier.
6. Carefully put meatballs into the sauce, one at a time. Only put 4 or 5 in at a time. Allow to cook and set for 5 minutes before adding more meatballs. Remove extra sauce so the pot does not overflow. Save sauce for later if needed. Gently stir sauce with a large spatula
being careful not to break up meatballs. Check on the pot every 30 minutes or so. Gently shake the pot or carefully stir the pot to keep the meatballs from sticking to the bottom. A heavy pot works best. Some cheaper pots are prone to sticking. I use a 6-8 Qt Calphalon or similar stock pot. The meatballs are less likely to stick to the bottom of the pan is nonstick. To purchase this stock pot, click here. For a less expensive quality alternative, click here.
7. Cook meatballs in the sauce for a minimum of 4 hours. I usually start them late morning and cook until dinner time. If making the spaghetti and meatballs a day ahead, cook for 4-8 hours (the longer you cook them, the better) then turn off the burner, and let the pot cool. Put the pot in the refrigerator overnight. Just warm through, around 30 minutes, and serve. For some reason, the dish always tastes better the next day, and the sauce thickens up.
I serve the spaghetti and meatballs with spaghetti squash, spaghetti noodles, salad, and my mom's easy garlic bread. It's a feast! See the additional recipes below.
Low-Carb Spaghetti Squash Recipe
For my Low-Carb Spaghetti Squash recipe, click here.
Easy and Fast Garlic Bread Recipe
If I am having guests over, I usually pick up a nice-looking French loaf or Italian loaf of bread (like below) when making garlic bread. But I asked my youngest son to pick up a loaf of French bread, and he brought back regular wheat sandwich bread. Hmmmm...
This is actually okay because we make garlic bread with whatever kind of bread is at our house. It doesn't look as pretty, but it still tastes great!
This is a little prettier when using a loaf of French or Italian bread!
Ingredients and directions for Garlic Bread:
1. Cut a loaf of French or Italian bread into one-inch slices, or use any sliced bread you prefer. Put the bread on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Spread salted butter on the bread and sprinkle it with granulated garlic, powdered Parmesan cheese, or shredded Parmesan cheese.
3. Broil under the broiler until brown, 2-4 minutes; watch closely so as not to burn the bread. That's it! Yummy Garlic Bread! Sprinkle with parsley for added color.
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*Three Leftover Ideas:
Pizza with Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs
Buy a ready-made pizza crust. Use the leftover spaghetti sauce for the marinara sauce, and spread it over the bottom of the crust. Spread about one cup of cheese (your choice) over the pizza crust. Then, cut up the meatballs and distribute them over the pizza crust. Add other toppings. I added sautéed mushrooms and sliced mini peppers. Add more cheese. Follow the directions on the package of the crust. I put the pizza in a preheated oven at 400 degrees and cooked it for 10 minutes.
2. Sheet Pan Shrimp and Tomatoes, with Mushrooms Over Spaghetti
This is a great way to use up extra spaghetti and sauce.
First, make the very easy and fast (it takes 10 minutes to roast) Roasted Shrimp With Cherry Tomatoes from the Pioneer Woman. I used leftover spaghetti with sauce as the base of the dish. Then I put the tomatoes and shrimp on top. Also, I added sautéed mushrooms. Add parsley or other herbs to garnish.
3. A meatball Sub Sandwich
I don't have any pictures of my own, the picture above is a stock photo, but who doesn't love a meatball sub?! Lightly butter the inside of the submarine buns and sprinkle with garlic powder. Broil the inside of the bun for a couple of minutes until brown. Warm-up meatballs and sauce. Fill each bun with meatballs (you may need to cut them in half) and sauce. Cover with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. Broil for a minute or two to melt the cheese. YUM!!!
I am sure you can think of a few more leftover ideas, but these will get you started! ❤️
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That's it, the entire feast! Add a salad to round it off. Invite over a few friends and family, and warm up over this yummy meal. I hope you enjoy my favorite family meal! ❤️
Buon Appetito! 😘
My brother Rick, and my sister-in-law, Lalita at Prom in 1984....about the time they wrote down the spaghetti and meatball recipe! It seems like yesterday!
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Victoria helped me make a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs before she went back to college.
The tradition continues! ❤️😘
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