<p>Which do you prefer? I tried both, to me not much difference, baking them in the oven saves time and clean up hassles, frying them definitely make them more greasy (at least it seems to me). Is there a real difference between the two methods?</p>
<p>I much prefer baking them. No mess when i do it this way.</p>
<p>Fry in the pan - use very little oil and have them rest on a paper towel for a minute (to drip off excess grease) before putting in the tomato sauce.</p>
<p>I used to put them in a pan to brown but now I think that’s unnecessary if they’re in a sauce. </p>
<p>the lazy way I do them for just family dinners.</p>
<p>I combine the meatball ingredients, then shove them into 9x9 pan…bake, and then cube them and put them in the sauce. For guests, I’ll roll them and back…but for just us, the 9x9 pan way is easy. ;)</p>
<p>“I used to put them in a pan to brown but now I think that’s unnecessary if they’re in a sauce.”</p>
<p>Browning adds flavor to meatballs and also can prevent them from falling apart in the sauce. </p>
<p>Brown in the pan with a little olive oil, finish cooking in a sauce. Both taste better.</p>
<p>I switched over to the method used by Fabio Viviani and have gotten raves for my meatballs. Google “Fabio meatballs video” and you will see a couple videos. I like the “Perfect Italian Meatballs/Chow Ciao”. Just watched “Fabio Viviani serves up Meatballs” and he is pretty funny in that one. Especially about the “3 finger pinch”. It is only slightly different than the first way. Also I just use the tomato sauce recipe he put out in another video. Very simple and flavor is wonderful!</p>
<p>I make a lot of meatballs for appetizers , especially during the holidays and I always bake them. I make some buffalo chicken meatballs that are for some reason, a big hit and they bake really nicely…None of my meatballs end up in a sauce though , so no worries about them falling apart</p>
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<p>@lje62: Well, now you have to share the recipe, you know.</p>
<p>@lje62 What is that recipe! share!! please!</p>
<p>This is not a recipe I made up , but every time I make them, they go fast and many people have asked me to make them again , or for the recipe. The Bleu cheese dressing is very easy too ! Enjoy </p>
<p><a href=“Mini Spicy Buffalo Chicken Balls with Blue Cheese and Hot Sauce Recipe”>http://www.marthastewart.com/349216/mini-spicy-buffalo-chicken-balls-blue-cheese-and-hot-sauce</a></p>
<p>I chop up shallots, garlic and parsley, add a little ground flaxseed (instead of bread crumbs) and an egg and broil them.</p>
<p>This thread wins the “most appetizing title” award.</p>
<p>I make cook my turkey meatballs in a large pot with marina sauce. Heat the sauce, put the meatballs in. Do not stir. Cook for 20 minutes then take the lid off and gently spoon some of the sauce over the meatballs. Cook 20 more minutes and they’re done.</p>
<p>Does anyone have a good recipe for Swedish meatballs with chanterelle (or any mushroom) sauce? I used to make them, but can’t find my recipe. Want to utilize that last container of chanterelles sitting in the fridge and the ground turkey I found in the freezer. Thanks in advance! </p>
<p>Lergnom, if I do not brown the meatballs first and just dump them in sauce to cook, I am afraid all the sauce will get all the grease from the ground meat.</p>
<p>Green678, do you use the real fine flaxseed? Does that make the meatballs moist? Instead of bread crumbs, I use day old white bread soaked in water, this Italian lady showed me her recipe over 30 years ago, oh, she also put veal neck bones in the sauce to add flavor. Her meatballs and sauce were delicious.</p>
<p>@Hopeful820 I do use ground flaxseed. It doesn’t make them moist; for that I rely on the egg. I add the flaxseed for a little extra texture as a healthier alternative to bread crumbs, which I used to use. Flaxseed is full of omega-3s, so I am always looking for ways to add it to foods. Also, I often make the meatballs with chicken rather than beef.</p>
<p>I used to brown them in a frying pan but switched to the broiler or baking. I agree that they would fall apart if they went straight into the sauce.
I also make Italian Wedding Soup and I don’t brown the meatballs before putting them in the broth. I make the broth a day ahead, cook the meatballs in the broth and then degrease the broth before finishing with the rest of the ingredients the next day.</p>
<p>Agree-- brown em in a pan-- then cook in spaghetti sauce. Yum!</p>
<p>I rarely make meatballs but I have a friend who puts quinoa in hers. It is a great addition. For pasta I just crumble and fry up the ground meat and add to sauce.
I like to make Ottolengli’s turkey meatballs. They have grated zucchini in them. I don’t sauce them but put in pita with yogurt cucumber sauce. For those I pan fry to brown and finish in oven. </p>