Who says that you need macaroni with meatballs? Just make them jumbo-sized, and you’ll have yourself a delicious and simple dinner.
You’ll love the cheesy goodness in each bite of these Cheesy Jumbo Italian Meatballs and the fresh Italian bread you used to make them. Garlicky and full of fresh ingredients, this recipe is a larger version of my Italian Meatballs. Except for this time, I made a simple, 30-minute homemade red sauce to go with it.
Most of your time will be spent prepping – chopping parsley, grating cheese, measuring red pepper flakes, etc. But as with any kind of meatball, dive right in and mix with your hands! Ladies, just make sure you take your rings off. Getting raw meat stuck in your ring’s prongs is just so gross.
Serve these Cheesy Jumbo Italian Meatballs with a side salad, and you’ll have yourself a fun twist on the traditional macaroni and meatballs.
Cheesy Jumbo Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups Italian bread - torn
2 large eggs - beaten
2 ½ pounds ground beef (minced beef)
1 cup parsley - flat-leaf, chopped
1 cup pecorino romano cheese - grated
4 cloves garlic - minced
Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil- 4 cloves garlic - sliced thin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 ounces tomato - crushed
3 sprigs basil
1 sprinkle dried basil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Ricotta cheese - for topping
Instructions
Meatball Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.
- Mix all ingredients together (using your hands is easiest!). Try not to overmix.
- Form “tennis ball” size balls and place them on the greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until browned.
Sauce Instructions
- In a deep pan, drizzle the olive oil over medium heat. Put the garlic and pepper flakes and saute until soft, about 1 minute.
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes (careful, don’t get splattered!), the fresh basil, sprinkle of dried basil, salt and pepper. Allow it to boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste test and put more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to your liking.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Cook meatballs for 5 minutes more then serve with a heap of ricotta cheese on top.
