Big A** Meatballs

Big A** Meatballs - so, that is what my husband used to call my meatball dinner BEFORE we had kids.  This is one of my husband's favorite dinners that I make -- you know a stand-by dish. They are flavorful meatballs that have been cooked in tomato sauce, which makes the meatballs soft and tender.  I serve the meatballs and sauce over rice with a side of fresh green beans.  But what do we call this dish now that we have a two year old?  We certainly cannot call it Big A** Meatballs anymore.  Can you hear my two year old at preschool saying it -- I can.  So, I told my husband we have to rename this dinner.  We decided the easiest thing to call it is Big Meatballs -- I know this seems obvious and easy, but it was as hard as changing your child's name.  So what does my husband call it -- Big (long dramatic pause) Meatballs.  It sounds so ridiculous.  And the sad part is I call it this too.  At some our kids are going to repeat this with the dramatic  pause.  And no, they will not be cursing.  But they are going to sound odd -- I love mommy's Big (wait for it) Meatballs.

Here is the recipe -- Mommy Tip call it whatever you want, but remember you will be stuck with whatever you select. 

Big Ass Meatballs

(a bit more or less of these ingredients will not matter - cooking is an art not a science)

1 package of ground sirloin
1 onion chopped
1- 2 cloves of garlic minced
salt
pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup graded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup more or less breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 Tablespoons olive oil (additional for browning meatballs)

flour
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
water

rice
green vegetable (green beans go great with this meal)


Place all of the ingredients: ground sirlion, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, ground cinnamon, graded Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, olive oil
into a bowl.  Wet your hand (this is key -- meat doesn't stick to wet hands, so you have a few minutes to mix ) and mix the ingredients with your hands.  Don't over mix so to keep meatballs soft -- just mix until ingredients are incorporated.

Create 4 to 5 Big Ass Meatballs. (Mommy Tip -5 meatballs means my husband and I have two meals.  My son has his own meatball, which I mix with the rice and sauce and split up into several meals)  Flatten the meatballs some so they are more like puffy hamburgers. Dredge meatballs in flour (this too helps keep meatballs moist and tender).  Place olive oil in a high sided skillet that you have a cover for.  Heat the oil on medium high.  Once oil is hot, place meatballs in pan - don't move them for 2 - 3 minutes to create a nice crust. Then flip them for about 2 minutes. Turn heat down to low.  Then pour tomato sauce over meatballs.  Fill the can half way with water and pour that in the pan. Stir sauce and water around and cover.  Cook for 25- 30 minutes -- flip over once half way through the cooking. Sauce will thicken with time.

In the meantime, make some white rice. And start your green vegs.  Once meat is finished, place some rice on your plate with a meatball half on and half off the bed of rice. Take fork and slightly break meatball open and pour sauce over meatball and rice. Plate green beans Enjoy!