Rachael Ray’s Perfect Meatball Recipe Is Freezer-Friendly and a Real Time-Saver

Rachael Ray understands that meatballs are the unsung hero of the culinary world and made using any combination of ground protein. Sweet, savory, in sandwiches, atop pasta, on pizza; the possibilities are endless for these budget-friendly and tiny flavor-packed morsels. Subsequently and best of all, they can be prepped ahead of time and frozen for busy weeknight meals.

Are meatballs of Italian origin?

Believe it or not, meatballs are not of Italian origin.

The Cookful wrote that meatballs might have originated from a Persian dish called Kofta.

This dish combines minced ground meat with rice, bulgur, or mashed lentils rolled into cylinders.

Spaghetti and meatballs is an American dish and have no roots in Italian culture.

Italian versions of meatballs are called polpettes. However, they are rarely, if ever, eaten alongside pasta.

What are the ingredients, and how do you make Rachael Ray’s Perfect Meatballs?

Ray adds an Italian twist to her meatballs.

She uses stale white bread, milk, ground beef, pork, salt and pepper, garlic, and Pecorino Romano cheese for flavoring.

Ray also adds nutmeg, an egg, parsley, and olive oil.

In a small bowl, soak the bread pieces in milk to soften. This helps bind the meatballs and keeps them moist.

Secondly, place the ground meat in a mixing bowl—season with salt, pepper, and cheese. Finely chop fresh garlic and add to the mixture.

Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add it to the meat mixture.

Following, add the nutmeg, egg, parsley, and olive oil.

Then, roll the mixture into balls. Fry or bake, depending on your preference.

The meatball mixture is the center of Meatball Sliders and Roasted Entrée Meatballs

Roasted Entree Meatballs are an upscale version of the traditional meatball.

These are stuffed with different savory ingredients.

For Ray’s recipe, she wraps a 1-inch cube of soft cheese in prosciutto or uses a hard-boiled egg wrapped in spinach leaves and places these in the center of the meat mixture.

The meat is then rolled around the filling into a ball.

The meatballs are roasted in the oven until cooked through.

Ray’s Meatball Subs are a traditional way to serve the rolled meat mixture.

To make the sliders, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then, add oil and garlic, followed by basil, parsley, and crushed red pepper.

Add a can of crushed tomatoes to the flavorings and season with salt and pepper.

Allow the sauce to simmer until the meatballs are cooked.

Combine the cooked meatballs and sauce and pile them into sub rolls. Top with shredded cheese and place subs under the broiler to melt. 

The Rachael Ray Show is seen in syndication.