For now, Chris and I are the only ones that eat real food at dinner (well, I guess Makua’s mooshed carrots is real food, but not really appetizing for big people) so I often look for cookbooks or recipes that feed just 2 people (Chris is not a fan of leftovers). I borrowed Cooking for Two from the library a while back and I’ve made this recipe quite a bit. It’s one of my favorite meatball recipes. The original recipe includes fusili with a hearty tomato sauce, but frankly I was getting tired of the same old pasta and meatballs deal. So we tried sub sandwiches instead. Tasty and super easy alternative to pasta.
An EXTREME close-up of a sandwich and some “Italian” fries (I baked the fries in the oven and then grated Parmesan cheese over top. I know- I’m a dork. 
)
- Meatballs
(recipe from Cooking for Two)
- 1/2 lb ground beef
2 T bread crumbs
1 T chopped fresh parsley
2 T grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 t fresh sage (or 1/2 t rubbed sage)
2 T milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg yolk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
- Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl, just until combined. You can use a fork or your hands. Shape mixture into 8 meatballs about the size of a golf ball.
- To make the meatball subs I used:
- ciabatta rolls
meatballs (6 per sub- which was kinda a lot thinking back)
sliced provolone (2 per sub)
marinara (I used some Barilla we had in the fridge)
- Bake the meatballs on a cookie sheet in a 450 degree oven for about 10-12 mins. Remove from the baking sheet and put in a bowl or on a plate. Warm the marinara in the microwave and pour over the meatballs. Stir to coat the meatballs. Toast the rolls under the broiler (watch ‘em or they’ll burn- I speak from experience). Spoon the meatballs and marinara onto the roll and cover with cheese. Broil until the cheese melts.
In the original recipe, you roll the meatballs in a beaten egg white and then in some bread crumbs. Then you fry them in olive oil. I tend to make my meatballs smaller than the golf ball size they indicate. Sometimes I also double the recipe and freeze the leftovers (to make sure the meatballs don’t stick together in the freezer baggie, I freeze them individually on a baking sheet first).
