Year: 2021

The classic Italian-American style meatballs are perfect as a dinner entree or as an appetizer. These tender meatballs are loaded with herbs and cheese, and covered with a classic tomato sauce. You can store these in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Learn how to prepare it below. Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 60 minutes Total time: 85 minutes Servings: 8 servings Ingredients: For the meatballs: 1 pound ground beef (at least 16 percent fat) 1 pound ground pork 2/3 cup milk (whole or 2 percent) 3 slices of white bread, crusts removed (about 3 ounces) 1/4 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon salt (or 2 teaspoons of kosher salt) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram 2-3 garlic cloves, minced About 1 cup flour, for dusting 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 1/2 cups (24 ounces) tomato sauce (recipe follows, or use already prepared) Tomato Sauce: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3/4 cup finely chopped onions 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots 3/4 cup finely chopped celery 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 28-oz can crushed or whole tomatoes, including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon tomato paste Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Directions: Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and parsley. Stir to coat with the oil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Remove the cover, add the garlic, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook the garlic for half a minute, then add the tomatoes (if using whole canned tomatoes, break up with your fingers as you add them to the pan). Add the tomato paste and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and let cook uncovered until thickened while you prepare the meatballs, 15 to 30 minutes. Purée in a blender, or push through a food mill for a smooth consistency. Return to pan. Adjust seasonings. Heat the milk in a small pot until steamy. Turn off the heat, tear the bread into little pieces and soak it in the milk until it partially dissolves. Mash it until you get something that resembles a paste. Turn it out onto a plate to let it cool. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, salt, parsley, oregano, black pepper, garlic cloves and the bread-milk mixture. Mix it well with your hands until it barely combines. Don’t overwork the mixture or it will become tough. It is OK to have some discernible bits of bread or meat in the mix; better that than overworked meatballs. Wet your hands and form the meatballs. A traditional size for this sort of meatball is 2-3 inches across, but you can make them any size you want. Once you roll the meatball in your hands, roll it in the flour to give it a good coating. Set each one on a baking sheet as you work. You might need to rinse your hands a few times as you make the meatballs. When all the meatballs are formed, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on at least two sides. Don’t worry about the center getting cooked through, as you will finish these in the sauce. Once all the meatballs are browned, arrange them in the sauce, turning each one over in the sauce to coat. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Serve with the sauce and pasta or crusty bread. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley for garnish if you want. Source: Simply Recipes

Cut down on cooking time with this air fryer fried chicken recipe. A healthier alternative to deep frying, this recipe leaves chicken crispy and delicious with far less work. The best part? It’s a breeze to clean up afterwards. Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 45 minsMarinating: 60 minsTotal: 2 hrsServings: 4 to 6 Ingredients: 1 4-pound fryer chicken, cut into 10 pieces (2 breasts cut in half, 2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups buttermilk For the coating: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon paprika Spray olive oil for cooking Directions: Marinate the chicken. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and then add it to a bowl with buttermilk. Chicken pieces should be covered with the buttermilk. Let it sit for at least an hour or up to overnight. Bread the chicken. To prepare the breading mixture, stir together flour, seasoned salt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk and shake off any excess; then dip in the flour mix and coat well. Transfer breaded chicken pieces to a clean plate or wire rack to rest. Air-fry the chicken. You will need to work in two batches if you are doing a full chicken. Spray the basket of your air fryer with nonstick spray. Place half of the pieces in the basket of your air fryer. Try to ensure the pieces don’t touch. Air needs to circulate around them.Spray the chicken pieces lightly with spray oil. Place the basket in the air fryer and turn the air fryer to 350°F. Cook for 14 minutes, then flip the fried chicken with tongs, spray lightly with oil a second time on the bottom side of the chicken, and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes, until white meat reaches 165°F and dark meat reaches 175°F.(NOTE: A meat thermometer is vital.)During the air frying process, if you pull out the chicken and notice any dry flour spots on the chicken, spray those spots lightly with oil. The breading will never crisp up if it doesn’t have a tiny bit of oil to hydrate it. It will just burn. Serve: When the fried chicken is ready, let it rest on a plate for a few minutes before serving. Serve immediately with salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, or your favorite fried chicken sides!Cooked fried chicken can be stored in the fridge for 5 days and reheated in a 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Source: Simply Recipes