Spaghetti and Meatballs

My twins requested spaghetti and meatballs for their big family birthday dinner in the fall and since I didn't feel like I could serve everyone noodles covered with Ragu I went searching for a fabulous homemade recipe.  Of course, the first place I looked was my favorite site Our Best Bites and they didn't let me down.  I found this fabulous recipe and it was a huge hit!

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Italian Meatballs:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage (I would have preferred less sausage I think)
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt*

*If you want, you could substitute all the Italicized ingredients with 3 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning found here.

Gently combine meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to shape meat into balls and then rolling it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a broiler pan

and broil until the meatballs start to brown–I actually use my toaster oven. Just because I can. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).

Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Olive oil
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of baking soda (to help neutralize the acid)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine well. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached–about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that’s of medium consistency (my husband, bless him, likes it very thick while I like it a little on the thin side. Whatever will we do??)

Serve over hot spaghetti (shhhhh…I used linguine!), maybe with some breadsticks and some freshly grated Parmesan on top. Serves a lot–like probably 12 regular people or 2 teenage boys.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare meatballs as directed, but divide the meatballs among two freezer-safe containers. Prepare sauce through adding all ingredients to the pan, but don’t simmer; rather, divide the sauce among the two containers. Freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, place in slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, although you’ll want to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it’s not burning if you go for the whole 6 hours.

Chicken Stronganoff

The last time that we were in Idaho, Justin's Mom made this yummy little recipe for dinner.  Justin and I loved it and the kids seemed to think it was all right as well.  We'll definitely be making it around here from time to time.  It originally came from the Taste of Home cooking site.

• 4 bacon strips, diced
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 jars (4-1/2 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• Hot cooked noodles
• Additional paprika, optional

• In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings; set bacon aside.
• In the drippings, cook the chicken, onion and mushrooms until the chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, salt, paprika, pepper and bacon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Combine flour and sour cream until smooth; add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with noodles. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

I finally got around to making this recipe out of my Our Best Bites cookbook and it was fast, easy, and delicious!

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (I used fresh roma's from the garden)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
8 ounces farfalle or bowtie pasta
1/4 cup pine nuts (we didn't have this)
1/2 cup pesto
1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bring a large pot of water to boil.
2.  Place tomatoes and mushrooms on a foil-lines baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss gently with fingers to ensure it's all coated.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Cook for 12-15 minutes or until tomatoes look plump and some of the skins just start to split.
3. When the water comes to a boil add 2 tsp. of salt and pasta to the water and cook.
4.  While pasta is cooking place pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat.  Stir frequently until nuts turn golden brown and look slightly glossy, about 7-9 minutes.
5.  Toss hot drained pasta with pesto and Parmesan cheese.  Top with tomatoes and mushrooms and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.