Homemade Meatballs and Spaghetti O's
Growing up I wasn’t allowed to eat ”junk food.” Instead of potato chips, I ate veggie chips, instead of ice cream, I ate frozen yogurt. Eating sugar cereal was a nefarious crime only practiced at friends houses after a sleepover, and Mc Donald’s only gazed upon longingly from the back seat of our toyota hatchback as we sped past on I-87. I don’t mean to paint my childhood as a bleak desert of food because in reality, it was anything but. My mom is an amazing chef and baker and my childhood was filled with mountains of holiday cookies, with homemade pizzas, cinnamon buns, homemade indian food, and custom made birthday cakes. Looking back, my life was sweet.
Not surprisingly, I didn’t always realize how lucky and privileged I was. I loved all the home baked muffins and breakfast pastry, but sometimes I wanted a sugar packed bowl of Captain Crunch. Homemade chicken soup is amazing, but I often longed for a salty cup of Lipton, the one with the dehydrated pieces of chicken in it... I wanted soda, and candy, and Doritos, and most of all, I wanted Chef Boyardee Meatballs and Spaghetti O’s in a can. My mom made amazing meatballs in tomato sauce, but there was something about Chef Boyardee, the tiny garlic powder laden meatballs, the little Anelletti pastas swimming in the soupy salty-sweet tomato sauce that just made me, well, happy. It made me happy. Knowing my mother’s aversion to canned foods, I never spoke up about this until eventually, I forgot all about it. That was, until I made Ted Bulletin’s Tomato Soup recipe and realized it could make a great sauce for a homemade version of the Boyardee classic.
Immediatly, I got to work on a mini meatball recipe that could emulate the canned classic. For the dish, I adapted the Tomato Soup Recipe by reducing the flour and butter by half. I just didn’t think it needed it, but feel free to add this back in, I’m sure it’s delightful. For the meatballs, I replaced chopped garlic and onion, with powdered and it worked great. I also added cheese, and used only beef. Feel free to omit the cheese and play with the ratios of meet, aka, 1/2 pork, 1/2 beef. Everyone has an opinion about this, and none of you are wrong! Lastly, I just could not help myself and I had to add some fresh thyme to meatballs and boy oh boy did that come out great. Even my kids went on and on about the flavor. The best part of this recipe is that it makes both my inner child and my adult self happy. The kids love it too which is a win win all around.
MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI O”S
INGREDIENTS:
**Tomato Soup Sauce**
1/4 pound butter
3 medium onions, cut into ¼-inch dice
1/4cup all-purpose flour
28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
¼cup sugar
1tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
¾teaspoon pepper
1lb of Anelletti Pasta
**Meatballs**
1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
1/2 cup parm
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
16 oz ground beef
DIRECTIONS
**Tomato Soup Sauce**
Step 1
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 2
Add flour and stir until mixture is slightly thickened and pale gold, about 3 minutes; do not allow to brown.
Step 3
Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, sugar, salt, celery salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium until the liquid bubbles, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently. While the soup simmers you can start to make your meatballs.
Step 4
Remove from heat and purée using a hand blender, or allow to cool until no longer steaming and purée in batches in a stand blender.
**Meatballs**
Step 1
In a large bowl, mix together the panko, flat leaf parsley, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Place your beef in this bowl.
Next whisk together the milk and egg, then add to the beef mixture , using your hands or a fork to mix until just combined. Don’t overwork. Form into tiny quarter sized meatballs. I used a melon baller for this, but you can also use a tablespoon. Place the meatballs on a tray.
Step 2
Gently place the meatballs into the simmering sauce. If there isn’t enough room for the meatballs to be covered by the sauce, add a bit of water or stock to ensure all the meatballs are fully covered. Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs are tender and cooked through (cut one open to check).
Step 3
While the meatballs are simmering, cook the pasta according to the package in a large pot of salted water.
When al dente, drain well and top with the mini meatball sauce, stirring to combine everything together. Enjoy topped with parmesan, chili flakes, and extra flat leaf parsley if desired.