Description
Delicious baked Italian meatballs made with lean ground beef, Parmesan cheese, and classic Italian seasonings, perfect for serving with your favorite pasta sauce over noodles or zucchini noodles. Easy to prepare, bake, and enjoy a high-protein meal suitable for the whole family.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk (2%)
- ½ cup crushed crackers or breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely minced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- Favorite pasta sauce
- Cooked pasta or zucchini noodles
- Optional garnish: fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400℉ and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Mix Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, milk, crushed crackers, Parmesan cheese, minced onion, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined but do not overwork the meat.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into 12 golf ball-sized meatballs using your hands or a cookie scoop for uniform size and even cooking.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the formed meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly so they cook properly.
- Bake Meatballs: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉, ensuring they are fully cooked and juicy.
- Optional Simmer in Sauce: While meatballs bake, heat pasta sauce in a skillet over medium heat. Once meatballs are done, transfer them to the skillet and gently toss to coat in sauce. Heat through for a couple of minutes.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the meatballs over cooked pasta or zucchini noodles. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Store Leftovers: Cool leftovers and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for quick meals later.
Notes
- This recipe makes meatballs that are family-friendly and perfect for meal prepping; they reheat well with sauce for a quick dinner.
- You can substitute crushed crackers with breadcrumbs if preferred.
- Use zucchini noodles for a low-carb option.
- Make sure not to overmix the meat mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- Internal temperature of 165℉ ensures food safety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 239 calories
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 594 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
