Words and Images by: LYNN BAIN and ELLEN DEWAR

Meatball Casserole

MEATBALL CASSEROLE

Using meatballs instead of cubes of meat in this casserole reduces the cooking time. Any leftovers from the casserole will freeze well.

PREPARATION TIME: 10-15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 slice bread, crusts removed
• 2 tbsp milk
• 300g beef mince
• 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 400g tin baby carrots, drained and then cut into two or three pieces
• 400g tin baby potatoes, drained and then cut in half
• 1 cup of beef stock 
• A good pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 cups of tomato paste

METHOD

For the meatballs, tear the bread slice into pieces and then soak in the milk for about five minutes.

In a medium-sized bowl, place the mince, parsley and egg. Squeeze the milk from the soaked bread and mix the bread with the mince mixture. Shape the mixture into 16 meatballs then place the prepared meatballs to one side while you prepare the casserole base.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté until the onion and garlic have softened and then add the carrots,  potato and stock to the pan and stir well. Now add the chilli flakes and tomato passata to the pan and mix together thoroughly.

Add the meatballs carefully to the saucepan and allow them to poach for about 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve the casserole in individual bowls, perhaps with a side of hot buttered toast.

HANDY HINTS

•  I use tinned carrots and tinned baby potatoes as the veggie component in this casserole. This will really cut down on the cooking time. If you use fresh veggies, the cooking time will increase to 30-40 minutes.
•  You can use beef, pork, lamb, chicken or turkey mince in this casserole. If you are using chicken or turkey mince, then substitute chicken stock for the beef stock.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

This is a quick and easy version of spaghetti and meatballs, using packet, tinned and bottled ingredients. Traditionally, this recipe uses spaghetti, but you can use whatever type of pasta you have on hand. And if you’re only serving two, these leftovers will also freeze well for a future meal.

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 500g beef mince
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs (Panko is ideal)
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 600-700ml bottle tomato passata
• 375g dried pasta
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving.

METHOD

In a bowl, combine the beef mince, parsley, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs and tomato paste. Roll tablespoons of the mince mixture into balls. Place the balls on a plate and put to one side while you prepare the sauce.

To make the sauce, tip the tinned tomatoes and passata into a large saucepan, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Gently place the meatballs into the sauce (in a single layer) and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes. Turn the meatballs carefully at least once during the cooking process.

While the meatballs are poaching in the sauce, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. At the completion of the cooking time, drain the pasta and divide between individual serving plates.

Spoon some of the meatball sauce over each serving of pasta and top with some grated parmesan cheese.

HANDY HINTS

•  Gourmet Garden garlic paste and semidried flat leaf parsley both work well in this recipe as a substitute for the fresh stuff.
•  I like to gently poach the meatballs in the sauce as opposed to frying them.
•  Retain half a cup of the pasta cooking water just in case the meatball sauce needs to be made more saucy (runnier).

Tags: Meatballs Spaghetti Cooking Recipes
Category: Cooking
Written: Sun 01 Apr 2018
Printed: April, 2018
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