A family favorite, this meatball recipe is a frequent meal for us. It takes me right back to memories of growing up. Even today, my mom usually makes these meatballs for my siblings and I when we visit. I draw a lot of inspiration from growing up, watching and helping my mom cook in the kitchen. You can read more about that on this blog post here.
Million-Dollar Meatballs is a pretty simple recipe, and is also one that uses many pantry staples! At this moment, I actually have all the ingredients stocked in my pantry and freezer in case I need to make an unexpected meal at the last minute.
This spinach meatball and gravy recipe was originally featured on Culinary.net where I wrote a featured blog post in May 2021. The first edition of this recipe can be found here: A Million-Dollar Meal. The recipe in my post here has been adapted from the original writing on Culinary.net.
A moment about the spinach…
For this meatball recipe, we will need frozen spinach that has been thawed. Through the defrosting process, a lot of water will be released and we don’t want to add this to the meatball mixture. Before you’re ready to add the spinach in, be sure to squeeze out as much of that water as you can! This will ensure the meatballs will stay together, and not crumble apart.
A word about this gravy, baby…
Growing up, gravy came from a little red packet that came from the grocery store. Salty, rich goodness- and SO easy to make. I wanted to provide a from-scratch version of a gravy, inspired by those red packets, and is actually pretty simple. It does require a few more ingredients than that packet of powder and cold water, but I think I made up for that by writing this recipe to make the gravy-making process nearly as simple as the packets make it.
Recipe details…
Million Dollar Spinach Meatballs and Gravy
This family recipe is an excellent weeknight meal that’s one of my family’s favorites for years. The meatballs can be made with either beef or turkey, and frozen spinach is mixed in. Additionally, homemade gravy is really what makes this recipe delicious- but I did create the recipe based on the little packet of gravy mix you pick up at the grocery store, so you can always opt for that!
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
For the gravy:
Instructions:
Make the meatballs:
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Mix and form the meatballs.
Combine in a large bowl the meatball ingredients, and roll into evenly-sized balls
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Cook the meatballs.
In a medium or large skillet, heat oil. Cook meatballs in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Rotate meatballs every 4-5 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Make the gravy:
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In the same pan as the meatballs were cooked in, bring the broth or stock to a boil.
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Whisk in garlic, onion, and mustard powder. Add soy sauce.
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In a small bowl or cup, thoroughly whisk cold water and cornstarch to form slurry. Mix into broth. Reduce temperature to medium and cook until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve meatballs on top of cooked egg noodles or rice, and top with gravy.
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Serve meatballs on top of cooked egg noodles or rice, and top with gravy.
Note
After thawing the frozen spinach, try to squeeze out as much water as possible! That way, your meatballs will combine easier and stay together.
Serve with egg noodles or rice, and top with more Parmesan cheese.
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[…] I wrote this recipe for a Snack Series, featured on my Instagram page, in preparation for the 2021 NFL Super Bowl!…