I've been searching for a good meatball recipe, and I recently came across Anne Burrell's recipe which was titled "Excellent Meatballs."  I figured, how can you go wrong with something that has "excellent" in the title?  So I figured I'd give it a try...and they came out awesome!  Of course I made some modifications to fit what I had on hand, so enjoy this recipe for classic homemade meatballs!

Extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

Salt

2 cloves chopped garlic (I cheated with pre-chopped)

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Meatloaf mix (between 1 and 2 pounds)

2 large eggs

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup water

Marinara or tomato sauce

Spaghetti or fettuccine

 You can also use individual products of ground beef, pork, and veal! (1/2 pound each approx.)

 Coat a large skillet with olive oil and saute onions for about 5-7 minutes until soft.  Season with salt.

 Add in garlic and crushed red pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.  Once finished, turn off heat and allow onions/garlic to cool.

 Mix together meat, parmesan, bread crumbs, and eggs.  Squish together with your hands until well combined.  Add in onion mixture once it is cooled and season with salt.  

 Form meatballs (any size) and preheat oven to 350.  Coat a skillet with olive oil and brown meatballs on all sides.  The meatballs may flatten a bit, but that's okay...they are still delicious!  Once all sides are slightly browned (as pictured above), place the meatballs on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through (you may need to cut into one just to make sure!).

 Post-oven meatballs...ready for some sauce!

 Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce of your choice for at least 10 minutes so they can heat up and soak up the saucy flavor.  When ready, serve over your favorite pasta.

Topped with parmesan cheese and ready to eat.  Delicious!

Enjoy!