Recipes: Beef Meatballs and Gooble Gobble Balls

(CBS News)  The following recipes come courtesy of The Meatball Shop of New York City.

Beef Meatballs
Yield: About 24 golf ball-size meatballs

Ingredients:
2 lbs. 80% lean beef, ground
2 tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Chile flakes
½ tsp. Fennel seed, ground
½ cup Breadcrumbs
¼ cup Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Oregano, chopped
1 cup Fresh ricotta cheese
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Drizzle the olive oil into a large baking dish (9x12), making sure to evenly coat the entire surface (use your hand to help spread the oil).

Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-sized meatballs, making sure to pack the meat firmly.

Place the balls into the oiled baking dish such that all of the meatballs are lined up evenly in rows and are touching each of their four neighbors in a grid.

Roast until firm and cooked through (about 20 minutes).

While the meatballs are roasting, heat 4 cups of Classic Tomato Sauce (see recipe below) in a small pot over a medium/high flame, stirring constantly

When the meatballs are firm and fully cooked, drain the excess grease from the pan, then poor the tomato sauce over them and continue roasting for another 14 minutes.

Classic tomato sauce
Yield: 7 cups

Ingredients:
1 ea. Yellow onion, small dice (about 1 ½ cups)
1 ea. Bay leaf (Fresh or dry)
1 sprig Fresh oregano (or ½ tsp. dry)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp. tomato paste
¼  cup olive oil
2  tsp. Salt
2  28-oz cans of canned tomatoes, chopped (preferably San Marzano)

Directions:

Cook the onions, with the olive oil, oregano, bay, garlic and salt over a medium heat in a large (12 qt.) pot, stirring constantly until soft and translucent (about 15 minutes).

Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for five minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes and stir constantly until the sauce begins to boil.

Continue cooking for 1 hour, stirring ever four or five minutes such that the sauce does not burn.

Season with extra salt to taste.

Gobble Gobble Balls
Makes about two dozen 1½-inch meatballs

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground turkey
2 cups garlic croutons (see note below) or stuffing cubes
1 cup dried cranberries
2 large eggs
¼ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Drizzle the olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

Combine the ground turkey, croutons, cranberries, eggs, breadcrumbs, sage, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 ½ inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165 degrees F.

Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Garlic Croutons
Makes 6 cups

Ingredients:
1 large loaf stale country bread, crusts removed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
¼ cup olive oil Salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Tear the bread into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the garlic and oregano and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss gently to combine and season with salt.

Place the croutons on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Stir and continue to bake until the croutons are golden brown and crunchy, checking and stirring every 5 minutes.

For more info:

• The Meatball Shop, New York