Barbecue Bacon Meatballs over Pasta

I love meatloaf, especially my Dad's and I love meatballs.  One day I realized that meatballs are essentially the same concoction of meat, filler and seasonings as meatloaf and I decided to take my favorite meatloaf recipe and put it into meatball form.  This recipe was born and it was quite simply a delicious idea; one that I am going to repeat with my Dad's recipe and others like it.

Ok, so enough with my undying  love of meatballs.  This recipe is simple, fast and very kid friendly.  I love the smoky/salty flavor from the bacon paired with the sweet tangy flavor of the barbecue sauce.  Match it up with noodles, rice or your favorite potato dish for a quick weeknight meal. 

Barbecue Bacon Meatballs

Recipe Source: A Cook’s Quest

1-1½ pounds ground meat (beef or turkey work best)
¾ c quick oats
½ c milk
1 egg
¼-½ c grated onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 slices bacon fried and crumbled
3T Jenn’s Barbecue Sauce +1/2 cup for later

Combine all ingredients except ½ c barbecue sauce. Form into balls and place on a cookie sheet or press into a loaf pan if you make the meatloaf version.

Meatballs: bake at 350 about 20 minutes until cooked through. Coat with remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce and serve over egg noodles.

Meat Loaf: Place loaf pan in oven, on a cookie sheet to avoid spills. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to an hour (this is going to depend on the depth of your pan.) During the last 15 minutes, top the meat loaf with the remaining barbecue sauce and continue cooking.

**After baking meatballs, freeze on the cookie sheet.  Once solid, place in freezer bags and store in your deep freeze.  When ready to eat, thaw them in the refrigerator, microwave 2-3 minutes or warm through in the oven and then top with sauce.

**I freeze the meatloaf before baking.  Top with a double layer of foil and freeze.  Thaw, then place in the oven and bake as directed above.

Total Cost: $3.46
Ground Beef-$1.30 (it had a coupon, plus it was on sale)
Oats $.08
Milk $.09
Egg $.09
Onion/Seasonings $.10
Bacon $.45
Barbecue Sauce about $.35
Egg Noodles $1.00

Turkey Meatball Sandwiches on Ciabatta Rolls

I bet I had you all fooled didn't I?  I'm sure that by reading my past entries it appears that I all I cook with is butter, sugar, and all things bad.  Well, I hope you see with this recipe that we do eat a healthy balanced diet full of lean proteins, vegetables and whole grains.  Most recipes only get better with additions of butter and olive oil, however it is difficult to take the fat out of a meal and have it still taste good. 

Turkey is a great way to get lean protein that is full of flavor because turkey will absorb any flavor you pair with it. Now I don't want to hear, "gross," or see your nose turn up as you read this.  Ground turkey is delicious and very easy to work with.  Make sure you buy the extra lean turkey that is made from turkey breast meat.  It is much lower in fat and calories than even extra lean ground beef, however if you buy the breast/dark meat blend it is still very low in calories and fat in comparison to beef.

My family loves most recipes with turkey in place of ground beef and these sandwiches were no exception.  I made a tasty new meatball recipe, covered with low fat spaghetti sauce, and topped with low fat mozzarella cheese.  Toast it all under the broiler for even more flavor and paired up with steamed broccoli, you have a fantastic meal. To quote my four year old, "wow, these are really, really, good!"

Turkey Meatball Sandwiches on Ciabatta Rolls
Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest

1/2 c instant oats
1/2 c milk
1 egg white
2 cloves garlic finely minced
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
2 T onion powder or 1/4 c fresh grated onion
1/2 tsp basil (fresh would be even better)
1/2 c lowfat/fat free parmesean cheese
1 lb extra lean ground turkey breast
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce or use homemade
Mozzarella cheese if desired

Combine the oats, milk, egg white, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs and seasonings and cheese.  Let sit for about five minutes so the oats can absorb the milk.  At this point taste the mixture for salt, balance of flavors etc. This is the only chance you have before the raw meat is added. 

Add the turkey meat and combine until well blended.  Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the turkey mixture onto a baking sheet.  Bake the meatballs in a 400 F oven about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.  They will feel very firm to the touch when they are cooked all the way through.

Turn on your broiler. Slice open the ciabatta rolls and place under the broiler to get toasty.  Spread about 1 T of sauce on the bread, place meatballs on top (we slice our's in half so they don't roll off the bread), cover with more sauce and top with a few tablespoons of lowfat mozzarella cheese.  Return sandwiches to the broiler and toast until the cheese is melted and starts to brown.  Top with the other half of your bread, and slice in half.  Pair with your favorite vegetable and enjoy!

Total Cost $3.85
Oats $.08
Milk $.09
Egg White $.09
Seasonings and Herbs $.10
Parmesean Cheese $.50
Spaghetti sauce $.50
Mozarella cheese .$50
Turkey $1.93
Ciabatta Rolls $.55

Jenn's Pineapple Meatballs

These meatballs are crazy good. I mean, they aren’t just pretty good--they are crazy, ridiculous, I want another one now, good. They bake in a sweet and tangy sauce that I think would be great on a variety of different meats, from chicken to salmon. The ground meat mixture can be used in a variety of different recipes, from spaghetti and meatballs to meatballs in cream sauce to these delicious sweet bites of yumminess. I hope you enjoy!

Jenn’s Pineapple Meatballs
Recipe Source: A Cook’s Quest

 ¾ c quick oats
½ c milk
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (turkey works well too)
2 eggs beaten
¼-½ c chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice)

Sauce
¾-1 c pineapple juice
¼ apple cider vinegar
1/3 c soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
¼-½ cup brown sugar (depends on how sweet you want the sauce)

In a mixing bowl combine the oats, and milk. Let set for about five minutes so the oats can soften. Add ground beef, eggs, onion, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce and mix well.

Shape meat mixture into meatballs. Using a cookie scoop works well to create uniform size. Place meatballs in a 9x13 baking pan. Add drained pineapple chunks.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Pour over the meatballs and pineapple. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400. Uncover and continue baking another 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. If you want a thicker sauce, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ¼ c water and add to the baking dish during the last 5 minutes of baking to thicken the sauce. Serve over rice.

**This recipe can easily be made ahead and frozen. Once the sauce is poured over the meatballs and pineapple, cover tightly with aluminum foil and freeze. To cook, thaw over night in the refrigerator and bake as directed above. Baking time may be longer if the meatballs aren’t completely thawed out.**


**This recipe can easily be cooked in a slow cooker. Place the meatballs, pineapple, and sauce into your slow cooker and cook on low 4-5 hours or until meatballs are done.**

The total cost of this meal will vary depending on what staples you have on hand.  I made this whole dinner, including rice and peas for less than $3.00 simply because everything in it is a staple item for me. Even if you have to buy some of the ingredients, this is money saver for sure!