Giada De Laurentiis Mini Meatball Heroes

Yummy! These turned out cheesy and good!

Just a note: If you plan on making & eating these, bring a bib!

SO MESSY!

Onward with the recipe...

I don't usually like other peoples red sauce but this turned out pretty good!

First I made the Marinara sauce because that takes 1 hour.

Marinara Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. 

Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. 

Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. 

*I didn't have any celery.

Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. 

Remove and discard the bay leaves. 

Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. 

(The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Yield: 2 quarts

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

And then I made the meatballs...

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 small onion, grated
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 6 ounces ground beef 
• 6ounces ground veal (*Lonny doesn't like veal so I omitted this)
• 6 ounces ground pork 
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Marinara sauce, recipe follows or 26-ounce jar, store-purchased

Sandwiches:

• 12 (3 to 3 1/2-inch diameter) Italian rolls, split, warm
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 ounces sliced provolone

Directions

To make the meatballs: Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. 

Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. 

Mix in the beef, veal, and pork. 

Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs.

 Place on a baking sheet.

Heat the oil in heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. 

Working in 2 to 3 batches, add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. 

Pour off any excess oil.

 Return all the meatballs to the pan. 

Add the marinara sauce. 

Simmer over medium-low until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. 

To make the sandwiches: Spoon the hot meatballs with some sauce over the bottoms of the rolls. Place 1/2 slice provolone on top of meatballs and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spread more sauce over the roll tops, then fold the tops of the rolls over and serve.