Homemade Italian Meatballs have just a few simple ingredients, and our recipe will leave your friends and family asking for this recipe again and again!

Homemade Italian Meatballs are a labor of love in our family. It’s the meal that gets made for holidays or potlucks. It’s the meal we bring to friends and family that need just had a baby or surgery or lost a loved one. It is our comfort food. Mr. Juggling Act is the meatball maker in our home. He perfected his craft as a teen working in his dad’s pizza shop. Now, Olivia is learning quickly and getting quite good at it, too.

Homemade Italian Meatballs Shopping List

ground beef
ground pork
bread crumbs
grated Parmesan cheese

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Homemade Italian Meatballs

Tender delicious homemade meatballs are perfect for most any occasion!

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix really well. Mr. Juggling Act uses his hands to mix. If the mixture feels very dense, you can add a splash of water.
Roll the meat mixture into 2" balls. The mixture will feel a little like dough that needs more flour, more dense.
TIP: Do not overwork the meatballs. Roll them gently between your palms until they just come together.
Arrange the meatballs on a large baking tray. Add about 1/2-inch of water to the tray to prevent the meatballs from sticking or burning.
Bake in a 350-degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until meatballs are browned.
If you wish to freeze some or all of the meatballs, wait until they are completely cooled. Place them in freezer bag and remove as much of the air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Cooked Meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

If you do not want to use Parmesan cheese, substitute additional breadcrumbs instead.

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On Christmas Eve, we put our homemade Italian meatballs with our Homemade Tomato Sauce recipe into the slow cooker. The meatballs become super tender and the whole house smells delicious. Despite everyone picking at Christmas cookies and the meat and cheese board, everyone always has room for meatballs! We serve them sometimes with cavetelli or gnocci, which we only have during the holidays.