Meaty Eyeballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 ½ pounds lean ground beef, or a combination of ground beef, pork and/or turkey
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Sliced black olives
Marinara Sauce (makes 6-7 cups of sauce):
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup grated onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced
- 2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the panko and buttermilk. Let the mixture sit for five minutes. Add in the ground beef and all the other ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- Form golf-ball sized meatballs and place them about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 28-32 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a platter or plate. If you used a less lean form of ground meat, you may want to drain the meatballs on a layer of paper towels before transferring to a platter or plate.
- Cover the meatballs in marinara sauce and put two sliced olives on each meatball for the eyes (they should stick just fine to the sauce). Serve immediately.
- For the marinara sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the onion is softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes, or let it gently simmer for upwards of 45 minutes.