These Frozen Meatball Recipes Are Weeknight Dinner Heroes

Want a quick and straightforward weeknight dinner idea? Frozen meatballs are the reply. Critically, they’ve saved my household extra instances than I can depend. As a result of whereas family dinners are chaotic, making the meal would not need to be — and frozen meatballs “perceive the task,” because the TikTokers say. Throughout illness and well being, for richer or poorer, this freezer merchandise is a dependable dinner staple you can also make memorable with only a few pantry finds.

You could be pondering, Spaghetti and meatballs each week appears extreme. Carbs! Acid! Preservatives! Certain. However what if there have been different methods to serve frozen meatballs in addition to on high of spaghetti, all lined with cheese? The actual fact is that meatballs are versatile AF. When you’ve ever been to the IKEA eating corridor, you’ve got already seen one instance of how one can put together meatballs in another way.

There are many meatball recipes that merely require you to dump in some components, give just a few swirls of the picket spoon, after which look forward to issues to warmth up. You may get frozen meatballs in numerous sizes and constituted of any protein you need, and all of those meatball recipes right here would work with any dimension or construction of meatball. Our household favorites are the medium-sized beef or turkey meatballs from Goal. You do you.

Frozen Meatballs FTW

When you’ve got the time and vitality, you’ll be able to completely make your individual meatballs from scratch — it is a pretty simple course of. It isn’t, nevertheless, as simple as simply shopping for a bag of frozen ones. For vegetarians and vegans, you’ll be able to even discover meatless meatballs within the freezer part. And turkey meatballs are particularly wholesome whereas nonetheless being filling.

The one actual suggestion right here? Stick to “conventional” meatballs as an alternative of “Italian” meatballs. Whereas there will likely be Italian-leaning recipes the place the additional seasonings would possibly assist, those self same recipes will style simply nearly as good with out specifically seasoned meatballs. Protecting a bag of frozen, conventional meatballs in your freezer means you might have the flexibility to make no matter recipe you need or whichever one you might have the components for that evening. As a result of let’s face it: Typically we run out of purple sauce.

The Recipes

Because you’re working with frozen meatballs, it is simple to see these as “crockpot meals.” And, babe, if that is what is straightforward for you, go for it. Make the “sauce” first, toss all of it within the crockpot on low after which head out on your day. Nevertheless, these meals work simply as nicely on the stovetop (or in a casserole dish within the oven). The great thing about frozen meatballs is that they are already cooked. You solely want them to heat up and provides them some taste.

Word: All recipes are primarily based on utilizing half a bag of meatballs, which can serve 3-4 individuals. You already know your loved ones’s urge for food higher than anybody, although. When you suppose your fam wants a complete bag of meatballs, merely double the “sauce” recipe to accommodate.

Swedish Meatballs

Components

• 1/4 cup (half stick) of butter
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 quart of beef broth
• 1/2 to 1 cup of bitter cream
• Salt & pepper to style

Instructions

1. Cook dinner meatballs per bundle instructions.
2. Soften the butter in a big nonstick skillet with excessive partitions. Medium to medium-high warmth is finest.
3. As soon as the butter is melted, stir in flour till it dissolves and you’ve got a thick, creamy-looking sauce.
4. Add in beef broth, one cup at a time. Whisk and incorporate nicely earlier than including the following cup.
5. Add bitter cream. Begin with 1/4 cup and add till you attain a consistency and taste that you just like.
6. Add in your cooked meatballs, scale back warmth to medium-low, and let simmer (sluggish bubbles) for 10-20 minutes.

“Candy Like Mama” Cherry Meatballs

Components

• 1 cup cherry preserves
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1-3 tablespoons rooster or vegetable broth or inventory, for desired consistency

Instructions

1. Combine cherry preserves and ketchup till nicely mixed.
2. If combination is just too thick, add one tablespoon at a time of inventory or broth till you attain desired consistency. This boils all the way down to household texture preferences, however hold it not less than as thick as heat honey.
3. Spray a casserole dish frivolously with cooking spray.
4. Place your meatballs in a single layer on the underside of the dish.
5. Drizzle with cherry combination, then shake backwards and forwards gently or stir with a fork to coat your meatballs.
6. Cowl with foil or lid.
7. Bake per instructions on the meatball bundle.*

*We take away the duvet for the final 5-10 minutes.

Teriyaki Meatballs

Components

• 1/2 bottle of Teriyaki sauce (use your favourite)

Instructions

1. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Distribute frozen meatballs in a single layer.
3. Cowl with teriyaki sauce.
4. Shake or stir to coat evenly.
5. Cowl with foil or lid.
6. Bake per instructions on the meatball bundle.

Word: Critically. That’s it. Typically teriyaki generally is a little salty. You possibly can counter this by in search of a teriyaki that’s labeled as being candy or by including a tablespoon of brown sugar. That’s as much as you. You too can make teriyaki from scratch… however that defeats the aim of simple recipes.

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Components

• 1/2 quart (2 cups) beef broth
• 1-2 cans beef gravy
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3-5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. In a big pot, mix beef brother, gravy, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Add meatballs.
3. Cook dinner on medium-high till sauce is at a gentle boil, then scale back to low.
4. Season with garlic, onion, salt, and pepper to style.
5. Simmer till meatballs are tender and your gravy thickens.

Word: In case your meatballs are tender however your gravy continues to be watery, make a fast slurry with some cornstarch (1 tablespoon) and water (1/2 cup) and add into the combo. Stir constantly till it thickens inside a minute or so. When you don’t have cornstarch, you may as well convey every thing again to a boil and scale back your sauce. Nevertheless, you run the chance of it being too salty whenever you scale back it.

Grandma Jackie’s BBQ Meatballs

When you reside within the Midwest, you’ve in all probability had some model of those at each celebration you’ve ever been to. Why not make a meal out of them? That is how Grandma Jackie made them…

Components

• 1 jar (8 oz) grape jelly
• 1 jar (12 oz) Heinz chili sauce

Instructions

1. Combine the jelly and the chili sauce totally.
2. Toss with meatballs
3. Cook dinner on medium-low warmth in a pot till the meatballs are tender or prepare dinner on low in a crockpot for 2-3 hours.

Open-Confronted Meatball Sammies

Components

• 1 field of Texas Toast
• 1 jar of purple sauce (use your loved ones’s favourite for spaghetti evening)
• Grated or shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook dinner meatballs and Texas Toast utilizing the instructions on their bundle.
2. Warmth your sauce on the stovetop or within the microwave.
3. Assemble by placing your cooked Texas Toast on the plate, then stack just a few meatballs, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with desired quantity of cheese.
4. That’s it. You would possibly need to eat it with a fork.

About Sides

What to serve with meatballs is an age-old query. There actually aren’t any improper solutions. However in order for you some pairing assist:

• Mac and cheese or entire child potatoes are particularly good with cherry meatballs.
• Mashed potatoes or egg noodles are nice with Swedish meatballs or Salisbury steak meatballs.
• Rice or scallion potato pancakes are the popular choices with the teriyaki meatballs.
• Have a salad together with your meatball sammies to maintain it well-balanced.