Meatballs

I think these are a great mid-week meal because you can do so much with them and they don't require a lot of constant attention. The other night I decided to make them into sandwiches with cheese melted over the top on a toasted bun. If you aren't into the sandwiches, you could also just throw them on top of some pasta or even eat them plain with a side dish or salad. Everyone makes their meatballs different and I probably make them slightly different each time, but here is the general recipe +/- a few pinches.

• 1 lb ground beef (I use extra lean)


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 egg


• 1 tsp salt


• 1 tsp black pepper


• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (I like a little zip in my meatballs)


• 1 1/2 tsp oregano


• 1 tsp parsley


• 1 tbsp ketchup


• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

Simmer a pot of your favorite or homemade tomato sauce with a lid on top (keeps it from getting everywhere).

Mix all above ingredients (except the meat) together in a large bowl until seasonings have blended together. Add meat in and mix well. (I usually just get my hands right in there). Roll meat into balls about the size of a ping pong or golf ball and carefully place them into the simmering sauce. Cover pot again with a lid and let simmer about 25 to 30 minutes.

If you want to make these as sandwiches, I lightly toast the bun then add the meatballs and some cheese and put in back in the oven for a minute or so to melt the cheese and get it nice and bubbly.

Note: If you want this meal to be gluten-free, just serve them on gluten-free bread or pasta, or have it in a bowl with sauce.