Two Comfort Food dishes combined into one. Italian Meatballs in marinara is the bottom layer and Macaroni and Cheese is the top layer with various cheeses in between and over the top. If you like both of these then you will LOVE this recipe. Your kids will also love it. Just make sure you make plenty so you have some for the next day and the day after…
Italian Meatball ,Mac Attack
Meatballs in ,Marinara
Ingredients:
Ground Beef ,92% Lean 1 Lb./480 ml
Medium Onion minced 1/ 2 onion
Garlic Cloves minced 3 – 5 each
Egg 1
Bread Crumbs 1 1/ 2 ounces/ 10 – 12 g
Olive Oil- 2 ounces/60 ml
Italian Seasoning 1 Tbsp./15 ml
Dried Oregano 1 Tbsp./15 ml
Tomato Paste 1 Tbsp./15 ml
Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste
Procedure: Sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil for 2 minutes, set aside to cool. Place ground beef in a mixing bowl. Add onion/garlic mixture, egg, bread crumbs, olive oil, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix just to incorporate. Have some olive oil in a small dish to coat your hands while forming meatballs. Roll and set aside. You can refrigerate these for an hour if you like to set them up (which makes it easier to sauté). If you chose not to just be careful when searing them. To sear- place in a sauté pan on medium to high heat and add olive oil. When hot, place meatballs in the oil and shake slightly to make sure they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Be careful here as the oil can splash if you shake too vigorously. Cook on both sides about 1 minute or so each, and then remove to a baking dish. When ready bake at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for about 15 – 18 minutes or until done. Set aside.
Sauce: 1 ounce olive oil, 1 Tbsp. oregano, 1 Tbsp. Italian seasonings, 1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes, 1/ 2 onion (minced), 2 cloves garlic (minced). Sauté ingredients in olive except for tomatoes. After a few minutes add tomatoes and cook. Add salt and pepper to taste. Part way through add tomato paste. Stir. Now add meatballs and heat in sauce for a couple minutes. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Macaroni ,And Cheese (for layering)
Ingredients:
Light Cream- 1 cup/240 ml
Flour- 1 cup/240 ml
Butter- 1/ 2 stick/60 ml
Mild Cheddar- grated- 1 cup/120 ml
Sharp Cheddar- grated- 1 cup/120 ml
Macaroni- 1/ 3 box- 6 to 7 ounces/180 – 210 ml
Salt- 1 Tsp/5 ml
Procedure:
Pre-cook the pasta in plenty of water with salt in it. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Stir often until done and strain. Rinse in cold water and drain. Reserve.
Turn on a burner to medium. Place a heavy bottom pot on the burner and add the light cream and while the cream is still cold add the flour and stir until flour is dissolved. Continue to stir often when sauce is heating and begins to thicken. Add salt to the sauce and then the cheese. Turn the heat down until the cheese melts. Continue to stir. Remove from the heat. Now add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce. Stir until incorporated. This thicker version is designed to be used in layered macaroni and cheese recipes.
#macattack #Italianmeatballs #familymeal