Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Meatloaf Balls

I have a whole list of recipes that I've been wanting to try but just haven't had the time.  With school being out I find myself in the kitchen A LOT and have added several recipes to my family's "tried and true" list of winners that everyone loved and asked me to make again.  I am a HUGE fan of Pioneer Woman recipes and when I came across this recipe I was intrigued by the sauce.  My boys all love ketchup so I decided to give it a try.

The original recipe called these "barbecue meatballs", but we all agreed that they weren't really barbecue-y enough to constitute the name.  We didn't think calling them just plain "meatballs" would suffice either since that leads you to believe that they'll have an Italian flavor and be served with pasta.  Ultimately we decided that they were more like meatloaf... hence our name... meatloaf balls :)

Oh my WORD, y'all!  They were AMAZING!!!  




Here's What You'll Need...
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 3/4 cups quick oats
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons diced onion (dice it REALLY small!)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup flour
- canola oil
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tablespoons thinly diced onions


- Step 1 -
Combine the ground beef, oats, milk, thinly diced onion and salt and pepper (to taste). 





- Step 2 - 
Roll the meat into equal size balls and pop them into the freezer for about 5 minutes.  I used a 1/8 cup measuring cup to portion out the meat mixture before rolling it into balls.


Here's a lovely view of our outside deep freezer ;)  You just want them to firm up a bit before working with them more, you're not actually freezing them.


- Step 3 -
While the meatballs are chilling, whip up the sauce.  Combine 1 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 4 more tablespoons diced onion.




- Step 4 -
Warm up some canola oil in a pan, take the meatballs and roll them in flour before placing them in the hot oil to brown.  When they're browned place them into a baking dish.





The meatballs are going to cook in the oven so you're not worried about cooking them through.  You just want to brown them a bit and get them to hold their shape a bit.  It took about 10 minutes (3-4 batches) to get them all browned.




- Step 5 -
Pour the prepared sauce over the meatballs and pop the whole dish in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.


45 minutes later they'll be all bubbly, the sauce will have thickened and your house will be smelling AMAZING!!!


I served them alongside piping hot mashed potatoes and they were AMAZING!!! 

PS - For my potatoes I peel and chop them and boil them until they're soft . Next I put the hot potatoes into my Kitchenaid stand mixer and then add in butter and whatever dairy I have in my fridge.  Obviously heavy whipping cream is the best way to go :)  Then I just whip them up until they're creamy and fluffy and Heaven-sent.



Dave's love language is meat and potatoes - so he was over the moon when he came home to this meal and has already requested it again.  The meatballs were moist, the sauce was tasty and everyone had seconds.  #winning



Be sure to file this one away for Fall or if you're like us and need some meat and potatoes year round you can put it on your meal calendar for this week :)

Happy Wednesday, friends!!!

PS - Don't forget that you can check out my previous recipes HERE

37 comments :

  1. Oh my yum!!!!!!! They look so gooooood!!! I can't wait to try them! All of the recipes you share are always delicious so I have no doubt these will be too. Thanks so much for sharing.

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    1. You're as welcome! I hope you love them as much as we did!

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  2. I'm a total meat and potatoes gal too so this is right up my alley!! Totally pinning and making these!!!

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  3. Can't wait to try this ! Thanks for sharing !!!

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  4. This is one of our favorite recipes! Someone brought it to me after I had my son and I devoured it. In her cookbook, she calls them Comfort Meatballs, which is just the right name as they are a comfort food for us. We also like to double the sauce because we love it so much!

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    1. Yum! And these would be a perfect meal to bring - making a mental note about that

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  5. I think your the one who needs a cookbook deal! Your recipes are always so well documented, easy to follow, look amazing, and actually work when I try them. And the best part...every single one I have tried has been a HUGE hit with my (very picky) toddlers. Thank you!!

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    1. Hardly! Hahaha But I'm so glad that you enjoy them!!! I like to pass along the recipes I try that are a hit with my family because there are sooooo many floating around out there it's helpful to know someone tried it and loved it before making it yourself. Hope your toddlers (and you!) love these as much as we did!

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  6. My family is going to flip for these! I cannot wait to try them soon! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hopefully you get to make them soon! If you do I'd love to hear what you think!

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  8. Oh good grief! We are meatloaf lovers over here! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. And now, I want these for breakfast!

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  10. These look good! Love your recipe posts. Thanks for taking the time to add so many wonderful pics.

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  11. Love your recipes! They are such good, hearty, family meals! I just made sloppy Joe pie on Monday and it was a major hit! Are you planning on updating the recipe tab on your sidebar this summer? I know a few are missing (sloppy Joe pie, that one pot sausage and rice one...) I love being able to click on your list when I meal plan!

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    1. Thank you for the reminder! I always forget to update it! I feel like I need a better way to keep them all together and categorized... I'll work on that this summer! I'm so glad you enjoy the recipes and thank you so much for reading and following along!

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  12. I'm so glad you tried and liked these! I fix them for my family quite frequently, rain or shine, summer or winter! We love them!

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    1. Right!??!?! Meat and potatoes is good year round! :)

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  13. These look delicious! Always a good recipe when they kids are asking for more!

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  14. I can't wait to make these. Yummy!

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  15. I love this variation too! http://www.nurselovesfarmer.com/2015/05/honey-garlic-meatballs/
    How do you keep your tried and true recipes organized?!

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  16. This looks like something my family would love (but this meat-eater wouldn't...). Do you think they would freeze well so my husband could pull them out and cook them on a night I'm at work?

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  17. Yummm, I've made these before and loved them, and forgot about them :) Time to make them again! Love your recipes you post

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  18. Her BBQ meatballs have been a huge hit around here for years, my kids love them!!!

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  19. I made these last night- thanks for the recommendation! My husband ate 9 of them. It felt like more work than meatloaf for sure, (but I also made homemade sweet potato fries and green beans and homemade peach crisp (and all 3 of my children were home and busy...so maybe that's why I was so tired at the end haha.)

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  20. These look and sound amazing! We will have to give them a try! Thanks!

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  21. What is that you are using to chop your onion? Looks quick and like it would keep the "tears" away! :)

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  22. Do you have a printable version of this recipe?

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