Who Needs Meatloaf When You Can Have Meatballs?

Today’s Menu:  Meatballs with mushroom soup sauce, served with rice, corn and peas

As a kid growing up, I’m pretty sure I gave my mom and dad a lot of grief when it came to dinnertime.  I wasn’t a picky kid per se, just difficult.  If dinner was something involving ground beef, I got particularly stubborn.  Are hamburgers on the menu for dinner?  Awesome! I loved food I could eat with my hands.  Meatloaf?   Not so much.  To me, it just seemed odd that meat would look like a loaf of sliced bread.  So, instead of meatloaf, mom made meatballs.  Perfect for spaghetti, or served as a main course, this is a comfort food that I still enjoy to this day.

Typically served with mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable side, along with bread and butter, I’ve changed things up a bit.  I prefer my meatballs topped with a mushroom soup sauce, served with rice and two vegetables.  Okay, not much of a change, but a change nonetheless. 

The recipe is simple, and you can adjust it to your own tastes by adding garlic, Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, etc.  If you follow the recipe and want to preview what the final product might taste like, mix up your meat and seasonings, and then make a small little patty and fry it up so you can taste what it will be like in the end.  Seasoning not quite right? Adjust and try again-just remember not to make your sample patties too big or else you’ll need some more ground beef.  Here’s the recipe:

•    2lbs ground beef
•    1 cup breadcrumbs (I substituted finely crushed cracker crumbs this time)
•    1 tsp salt
•    ½ tsp pepper
•    1 can cream of mushroom soup
•    4 tbsp chopped onion
•    2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper together.  Form into extra large golf ball size meatballs, and place in a baking tray.  Cook in a large skillet until inside is no longer pink (the time will vary depending on how big your meatballs are).  Meanwhile, in a medium sized frying pan, sauté up chopped onion in a bit of butter and cook until soft.  Add can of mushroom soup, and your Worcestershire sauce, and heat until combined.  Serve meatballs on bed of rice, or alongside mashed potatoes and top with mushroom soup sauce gravy. 

Happy Eating!