I’m getting my fix of warm, comforting winter meals before spring. I can feel the end of hibernation on the horizon, and daylight savings time is here! I couldn’t be more excited for more daylight. This week I was unusually proactive and made meatballs on Monday. My mom and my ultimate rustic meatballs with ground Italian sausage, ground beef, and plenty of seasonings and cheese. The perfect accompaniment to pasta, bread, and delicious on their own.

Rustic Meatballs + Memories

When I was in high school, one of my favorite things after a long tennis practice or an away match was to sit down with a warm bowl of meatballs. My mom primarily made a copycat recipe of Ikea meatballs, which was my first and only experience with them. We live way too far from an actual IKEA. But I loved them. They had a moist texture and rich, sharp taste with a warm, creamy, and salty sauce. I remember feeling euphoric after one victory and sitting down with meatballs, still in my uniform. Content to just watch TV and eat with my family.

Spaghetti and meatballs is also one of my favorite things to eat in the winter. I’m typically more of a fan of white sauces and butter sauces than tomato sauce. Except for homemade pizza. But Something about spaghetti and meatballs has become really comforting in my adulthood. With plenty of parmesan on top. In recent years, my mom started to get more adventurous and curious with cooking. She found a pork and beef meatballs recipe during the pandemic that we loved. I still remember on a Sunday trying my first bite of them and marveling at their soft texture.

My Family Meatball Recipe

Her rustic meatballs recipe was made with both 80% ground beef and ground Italian sausage. Combining meats sounds weird at first, but it makes them very flavorful. She also added an obscene amount of parmesan, a little salt and Italian seasoning, and the classic moistening method of breadcrumbs and milk. They were so good that I knew I needed to learn how to make them. We’ve made homemade pork and beef meatballs several times since and they always come out amazing. Every time I remark that I need to share them on my blog. And paint them. And my mom marvels at how evenly I can portion and shape meatballs without a scale. A hidden talent.

So, this week I finished Sunday on a high note. I watched a few of the Oscar-nominated films that day and was excited to stay up and watch the awards. Dreaming of comforting Sunday meals. My mind wandered to meatballs. I was also itching to paint something red, which is one of the more rare colors I get to paint with. But I always enjoy how deep and vibrant it is. Like my strawberry tarte tatin painting. I decided to make pork and beef meatballs for this week’s post and woke up bright and early on Monday to get the ingredients.

Taking a Cooking Break

The tradition of being sick on Mondays continued, and I woke up with a splitting headache. I decided to rush to the grocery store to get parmesan, ground beef, and Italian sausage so I could relax the rest of the day. I also filled my car with gas. But by the time I came home my stomach was feeling super weird, and I started to feel dizzy and nauseous. I spent most of the day resting and sleeping it off, and the last thing I wanted to eat was rich meatballs. I barely had an appetite and couldn’t even stand up straight without feeling like I was on a rocky cruise ship.

Luckily I woke up the next day feeling much better. And my stomach was rumbling in a good way, ready to consume every bit of food in sight. I made a great homemade breakfast; a latke omelette, as I like to call it. I grated potato and mixed it with cheese and salt and breadcrumbs. Crisped it up in a pan and then poured eggs over it. It was heavenly, and only stoked the fire of my appetite. I felt a surge of energy, too, and a desire to throw down my best in the kitchen for the rest of the day.

Shaping + Cooking Rustic Meatballs

I started my pork and beef meatballs by getting out a big bowl and throwing both meats in. The ground beef and the ground Italian sausage. Then I cracked my eggs and added fresh parmesan, seasonings, breadcrumbs, milk, and a little olive oil. I seasoned it with plenty of salt and pepper and got my hands dirty, working the mixture into a cohesive meatball mix. My hands were freezing cold so I ran them under hot water for a little bit and then formed them into 16 equal, plump balls. I placed them on a baking sheet and took off a little here and added mix onto some that were more scant. Excited to crisp them up. I warmed my pan and took photos before diving in.

I used the biggest pan in the house and a drizzle of good olive oil. With the heat on medium-high. I crisped up the rustic meatballs for about 5 minutes on each side, then turned them frequently to try to get the edges and sides to brown. I took them out when I was satisfied and turned the heat down. After a few minutes I glazed the pan with a little oil and garlic and chopped shallot. Then I added a whole can of tomato sauce and some herbs and spices for flavor. The pork and beef meatballs went back in with a little bit of water to thin out the sauce. And I covered the pan with aluminum foil and let them braise and steam while the house filled with the scent of homemade Italian tomato sauce.

Cheese, Tomato, and Basil

I let the meatballs cool for a little bit, still covered, and got out some mozzarella and parmesan to put on top for my lunch. After taking some photos, gleeful at how beautiful the deep red looked against the black background, I ate. Just two pork and beef meatballs in a bowl to start with grated parmesan and mozzarella. I put on a little chopped basil, too. I got a good show and sat there cutting off pieces of piping hot meatballs to my heart’s content.

The meatballs tasted just like my mom’s, with that delightful mixture of beef and Italian pork sausage. The texture is like a soft and moist meatloaf because of the milk and breadcrumbs and abundance of parmesan. They also have a beautiful, rich cheesy taste and a small perfume of basil. Sweetness of tomato. The sauce cooks down then the meatballs cook through, which reminds me of the caramelized cheesy-tomato essence of lasagna.

Because I made these pork and beef meatballs on Tuesday, I had a great week of eating. Meatballs and caramelized cheese for dinner with crispy, rustic bread. And my favorite, meatball pizza. I first tried it in New York City when I was visiting my friend in college. Which was undeniably the best pizza I’ve ever had, even after going to Italy. We stayed across the street from a small family-run slice joint and it was the highlight of my trip. So, whenever we have leftover meatballs from Sunday meals, I chop them up and use them as the topping on homemade pizza. Out of the now hundreds of homemade weekly pizzas I’ve made, meatballs, mozzarella and parmesan are my favorite toppings.

Enjoying Leftover Pork and Beef Meatballs

These meatballs are perfect for a family gathering or a rustic, hearty meal. They’re easy to make and full of flavor. With a classic, simple recipe that utilizes parmesan, good breadcrumbs, and herbs and spices for flavor. I also love the combination of beef and Italian sausage. I cook a lot with Italian sausage: soups, pizzas, pastas, and it packs a lot of flavor. Use the hot kind if you want an extra bit of spice. It’s been almost a week now since I chopped fresh garlic. But I can still smell it on my fingers. One of my favorite chef / cook things. No matter how much you wash your hands it’s still there. A potent reminder of the flavor of Italian cooking.

Thank you for reading! Make sure to check out my Etsy for 100’s of recipe cards and art prints. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. I had a bit of extra time to work on next week’s recipe after getting my meatballs done early. And let’s just say it’s going to be a good one!

Print Pin

Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

My favorite Sunday meatball mix, seared and cooked in homemade tomato sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword meatballs

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp chopped basil + more for garnish
• 3/4 cup parmesan
• 1 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 shallot
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 28 oz crushed canned tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tbsp chopped basil, parmesan, 3/4 tsp salt, pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, eggs, breadcrumbs, and whole milk in a large bowl. Mix just until combined.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil.
• Form meatballs into 16 even portions and roll each into a ball. Place on a baking sheet until ready to cook.
• Cook your meatballs for 3-4 minutes on a side until browned fully. Transfer to a baking sheet lined in tin-foil to rest while you make your sauce.
• Turn the heat down to low and add 1 chopped shallot and 6-8 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Sautee for 3-4 minutes until translucent and soft.
• Add your crushed tomatoes, remaining basil, 1/4 tsp salt, water, and stir to combine into a sauce.
• Turn heat up to medium and cook for 5 minutes until bubbly. Transfer your meatballs back into the sauce and cover.
• Cook meatballs for 5 minutes, covered, then turn them and cook for another 10 minutes, covered. Turn off the heat and let meatballs sit until ready to serve.
• At this point, if you are making meatball subs, place fresh slices of mozzarella on top and cover until melted.