Recipe from Fix, Freeze, Feast by Neville and Tkacsik. Makes 6 entrees, about 20 meatballs each.
Meatballs
- 6 lbs ground beef
- 15 mozzarella string cheese sticks (or a 1 lb block of mozzarella cut into 120 cubes)
- 3 cups dried bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Sauce
- 4 cups ketchup
- 2 cups red wine vinegar
- 2 cups Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons minced onion
- 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 6 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled "Mozzarella Meatballs" with the date made
Instructions
- Remove string cheese from wrappers and cut each string into 8 equal pieces. Place in a large bowl or 1-gallon freezer bag and freeze until it is time to form the meatballs.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Using your hands, thoroughly combine beef, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Shape into 1- to 1-1/2-inch meatballs around each piece of frozen mozzarella. Seal meatballs well to keep the cheese from oozing out.
- Place meatballs close together on a lightly greased broiler pan or rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool meatballs.
- While meatballs are baking and cooling, mix ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic, onion, mustard and pepper in a large bowl. Divide sauce evenly among the freezer bags. Divide cooled meatballs evenly among bags of sauce.
- Seal and freeze.
To Cook One Entree
- Completely thaw one entree in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour meatballs and sauce into an ungreased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through. Serve over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.