Meatballs were always a staple food in the house I grew up in.

Because she of all people would truly know the single greatest way to make them.

Unfortunately, my great-grandmother wasn’t one to write out measurements on her recipe cards.

close up of Italian meatballs plate

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“She never did anything with amounts,” says Arleen Small, my grandmother and meatball connoisseur.

“It usually was a ‘pinch of this’ or a ‘pinch of that.'”

Here is an easy step-by-step tutorial for you to follow!

soaking bread in milk for meatballs

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

cans tomato sauce1 10 oz.

Soak the breadcrumbs in a bowl with 1/2 cup of milk for about 3 minutes.

Mix the meatball ingredients

Add the rest of the Italian meatball ingredients to the bowl.

meatball ingredients in a bowl

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Mix together with clean hands.

Shape the meatballs

Using your hands, shape 2-inch-wide meatballs.

Place them on a plate orsheet panas you continue to shape the others.

rolling meatballs

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“When they’re really small, they can’t absorb as much of the juices.”

Sear the meatballs

Pan sear the meatballs on askillet.

When they are brown on both sides, place them on a clean plate.

pan searing meatballs on a skillet

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Continue to do this until all of the meatballs are cooked.

Continue to cook on low until the sauce is hot and bubbling.

Put the meatballs in

Place the meatballs carefully inside the pot of sauce.

whisking tomato sauce with herbs

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Do not plop them inthe sauce will go everywhere!

Brown them in the pan first (similar to how the meatballs were browned).

Pour the extra grease from the pan from browning your meat into the sauce.

adding meatballs to tomato sauce

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

(If you cook on a higher heat, the sauce will likely burn on the bottom.)

This allows for some of the moisture to release while the meatballs are cooking.

Serve sprinkled with some parmesan cheese.

adding hot Italian sausage to pot of meatballs

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Hot tip: Use those hot Italian sausages for another meal!

Sautee up some peppers and onions and serve the sausages on a hot dog bun for another delicious dinner.

Full Italian Meatball Recipe

The easy way to make healthier comfort foods.

adding grease to pot of meatballs and sauce

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

meatballs in tomato sauce

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

digging into a plate of Italian meatballs

Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!