The very first recipe I posted came from this $3 thrift store cookbook.
I turn to it when I've thawed hamburger meat and have no clue what to do with it. I tend to get stuck in the meatballs, burgers, or meatloaf cycle of rotation. This is good for breaking out.
But, I did cook meatballs from it. Just different ones. I used their basic meatball recipe because the ones I make are super Italian and I didn't think that would pair nicely with the flavors of the sauce.
Basic Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Mix all ingredients and shape into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a lightly greased pan and bake in a 400° oven for 20 minutes.
While the meatballs were baking, I started white rice. You know the drill - 1 part rice, to 2 parts water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and leave alone for 20 minutes. Done! (You could also make brown rice, just start it earlier because that takes 50 minutes.)
Once those two steps were out of the way, I got to work making the sweet and sour part of the meal.
Sweet-and-sour MeatballsBasic Meatballs
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (13.25 oz) pineapple tidbits (and juice!)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper (I used a whole pepper)
2 carrots, chopped (not in the original recipe - I added for more veggies)
Mix cornstarch and sugar in a large skillet. Stir in pineapple with syrup or juice, soy sauce, and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Add cooked meatballs, green pepper, and carrots. Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Makes 4-5 servings.
Johnny declared it "needs to become a regular" after bite two. I'm interested to try it in the future with chicken or pork!
And just in time for Christmas shopping --- win a $200 Best Buy Gift Card from Totally Together Reviews!!!
I am the same way when I have ground beef. You can get in a rut, for sure. Most recently, I made empanadas, and they were AWESOME! Also, sometimes when I want to zest up my meatballs, I GRILL them, and again, awesome.
ReplyDeleteI needed a rut buster and this may well do the trick!
ReplyDeleteLele I've never grilled meatballs!
ReplyDeleteLaura, I loveee the term "rut buster!" haha I'm gonna steal that! ;) I'm making your cabbage tomorrow!
I love it, inexpensive cookbook and recipes! Looks like a good old standby. Those meatballs sound delish!
ReplyDeleteBookmarked! I love old cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteoooooooo... these look sooooo good. you are right about making big pots of stew and stuff to get through the "non-cooking" slump.. im thinking this might be good for my food budget though- save lots of money!
ReplyDeleteThese look quite similar to the "Waikiki Meatballs" I used to make, using a recipe from my mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook. Since this book is from Betty too... it makes me wonder...
ReplyDeleteI learned to make that recipe as a kid, and I even made the meatballs as part of a demonstration speech I had to do for a class one time. It has been ages since I thought of them. I should make some and reminisce! Thanks for making me remember them.
I love old school cookbooks! That looks like a classic!
ReplyDelete