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“I do the meatball recipe a lot. I think the army stew probably too. It’s the most useful dish because it was born out of necessity and poverty and any idiot can make it in 20 minutes on a hot plate. It’s cheap and uses readily available commercial ingredients. And it’s delicious. It should be the great American dish – perfect late-night stoner dorm food for college kids on a budget.”

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Large Batch Meatballs

(Serves around 15 people)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4.5 lb. ground meatloaf mix

• 2 tsp Italian Season Blend

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

• 3 cups breadcrumbs (from 2-3 day old, dense bread)

• 1 cup water (to loosen up the bread crumbs)

• 1 cup Vidalia onion, finely diced/minced (to ensure they soften when they cook, otherwise they will be crunchy)

• 3 large eggs

• 4-6 cloves garlic (more or less depending on preference), minced

• 2 cups grated parmigiano regianno

• 2 Tbs cup parsley, finely chopped

• 2 Tbs cup basil, finely chopped

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• 80 oz. (about 10 cups) marinara sauce of choice

METHOD FOR LARGE BATCH MEATBALLS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Hydrate the bread crumbs with the milk in a small bowl just before adding to a larger mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients except for the marinara sauce.

3. Mix the contents until just combined (avoid overmixing), then use an ice cream scoop to portion. Roll into balls and place on a lined baking sheet.

4. Transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and juices are locked in.

5. In the meantime, add marinara sauce to a large pot and bring to high heat.

6. When meatballs are ready, transfer from the tray and submerge into the marinara sauce.

7. Reduce the heat to a simmering low.

8. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 2-3 hours (or until tender to preference). Note: I do not lift the lid during this entire process so it locks in the heat and circulates the steam.

9. When ready, remove the lid, give a stir, and serve as is or pair alongside cooked pasta. Enjoy!

NOTES:

• A note that my friend Alex mentioned is to soak bread in water then break apart in place of dried bread crumbs. It is something his Italian family has traditionally done with meatballs and the thought process behind it is that when the meatballs cook, the water evaporates, leaving the meatballs more tender.

• Though this is a large batch recipe, it does not necessarily mean it should only be made for larger gatherings. Sometimes I will make it and portion into freezer bags for when I am too lazy to cook. Simply defrost and transfer to a pot to reheat, on your own time, on your own schedule!

• Alternatively you can use a large crockpot instead of a large pot. Simply add the sauce to the crockpot and set to high while the meatballs cook in the oven. This will give the sauce time to increase in temperature to continue cooking the meatballs. When the meatballs are finished baking, reduce the heat setting to low for 3 hours, or until preferred tenderness is achieved. (Enjoy!)

• For more delicious recipes to create or par alongside, visit the Kitchen Journal.