Spaghetti and Meatballs

You absolutely must try this recipe. Not only was it good on spaghetti noodles, but it was also delicious when I used the leftovers to make meatball subs the next day. :)

When I was eating this, it reminded me of the cute, romantic scene in the movie Lady and the Tramp. :) This spaghetti and meatball recipe is all homemade and honestly takes VERY little time. I prepared it in the morning and let it cook in my crock pot on low all day. You could also prepare it from start to finish in only an hour if you prefer to not use a crock pot.

I made this recipe all on my own and just looked at a variety of recipes on www.allrecipes.com to get an idea of what I might use. I was a little leary when i saw that almost all the recipes put the raw meatballs in the sauce without ever even browning them. Trust me- it's worth it. The meatballs were so delicious and not a single one fell apart!

FYI: this does make a large amount ... enough for at least 10 people.


Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound italian sausage
1 2/3 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon minced onion
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3 eggs

Sauce
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
*I also added about 1/4 pound Italian Sausage that I had already dried earlier in the week

Place all ingredients for spaghetti sauce together in a crock pot. Prepare meatballs using all of the meatball ingredients and shape into balls. Add meatballs to sauce (without precooking or browning them) and let cook on low all day (or at least 6 hours). Serve with thin spaghetti noodles. Enjoy! :)

If you do not want to cook in crock pot; allow to simmer for 45 minutes and the meatballs should be thoroughly cooked.

And remember to use the leftovers for meatball sandwiches the next day. :) That is, if you have any leftovers!