Slow Cooker Meatballs

     Below is my go-to meatball recipe for my slow cooker.  I found it in "Crockpot Recipe Collection." The meatballs are really tasty but I have found that if you don't chop the onions small enough, the onions can stick out so be sure to chop the onions very small.  Also, the key to having the meatballs maintain their integrity is to definitely brown them before putting them in the slow cooker.  That is one step that you can not omit.  
     The sauce, well, is just meh.  It's almost like a pico de gallo italian style.  I generally heat up some jarred sauce at the end.  This typically yields about 45-50 meatballs so it could definitely be served to a crowd.  Lastly, this is  a great recipe to make for frozen dinners.  I take the leftovers and divide them up into individual servings and seal them in my vacuum sealer.


Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce 

MEATBALLS 

2 pounds 90% lean ground beef 

1 cup bread crumbs 

1 onion chopped 

2 eggs, beaten 

¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley 

2 teaspoons minced garlic 

½ teaspoon dry mustard 

½ teaspoon black pepper 

Olive oil

SPAGHETTI SAUCE 

1 can (28 ounces) peeled whole 

tomatoes, undrained 

V2 cup chopped fresh basil 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 garlic cloves, or to taste, finely 

minced 

1 teaspoon sugar 

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

Cooked spaghetti 

Grated Parmesan cheese 

(optional) 

1. Combine all meatball ingredients except 

oil. Form into walnut-sized balls. Heat oil 

in skillet over medium heat until hot. Sear 

meatballs on all sides, turning as they 

brown. Transfer to 4 ½ quart slow cooker. 

2. Combine all sauce ingredients in medium 

bowl. Pour over meatballs, stirring to coat. 

Cover; cook on LOW 3 to 5 hours or on 

HIGH 2 to 4 hours. 

3. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Serve over 

spaghetti. Garnish with cheese, if desired. 

makes 6 to 8 servings 

Meal Planning

So, meal planning.   I try to do this on Saturday or Sunday mornings.  Although once Jamie starts his new job, I'll probably need to do it on Saturday so we can grocery shop on Sunday.  At any rate, this blog is late!  The meal plan started with last night's dinner of gorgonzola stuffed filet mignons, sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, squash, & asparagus, buttery red potatoes, & salad.  We were both stuffed!  And I do have a great lunch today.

For the remainder of the week:
Monday:  sushi night out
Tuesday: Jamie's night
Wednesday:  Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce and sauteed spinach
Thursday:  Asian Style Beef Kebabs, quinoa, salad
Friday:  J Gilbert's Wood Fired Steaks & Seafood
Saturday: Chicken Tacos

Let's Talk Cookbooks

I think I'd like to share my favorite cookbooks.  I admittedly have somewhat of a cookbook obsession and have quite a collection.  The 'Best Recipe' series, however, is my favorite!  These collections were created from the editors of Cook's Illustrated.  The basic premise is that they've gathered a plethora of recipes for the same thing (such as, Chicken Marsala) and then tried each recipe to come up with the best techniques and ingredients for each recipe.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Another of my favorite cookbooks, "Vegetables," is authored by James Peterson.  It's an oldy but a goody!  It was published in 1998.  And in writing this blog, I have just discovered that he has a new and updated version of this cookbook that will be available Tuesday, March 27.  I can't wait to get it!  Basically, the book is divided into sections first by each vegetable in alphabetical order.  He describes the attributes to look for when buying each, what the vegetable is like, how it's used, and, of course, recipes.  It's a great addition to your cookbook library.  Oh, and there are also illustrations demonstrating some of the lesser known techniques for preparing vegetables (such as, turning an artichoke).  I also have his "Fish & Shellfish" cookbook and have recently acquired "Cooking" but I haven't had a chance to use that one yet.

Last night's dinner was a bit on the, meh, side.  My husband prepared a recipe in the slow cooker that we hadn't tried before.  Hoison sauce is...interesting.  And probably not something I would use again.  The pork roast had an almost clove flavoring to it which I did not enjoy.  Also, the recipe said cooking time was 6-8 hours.  My husband was starving so we ate it right at 6 hours; it really needed the full 8, I believe.  The recipe was in "Crockpot Slow Cooker Bible" and was called 'Sherry Roasted Ginger Pork.'  Try it at your own risk.

It's Official

So, a blog. I'm not sure how much I'll utilize this but we shall see. My main motivation is to have spot where I can post recipes that I've tried & enjoyed, along with any modifications that I've made.