Grandma’s Classic Meatballs in Rich Marinara Sauce Recipe
Grandma’s Meatball recipe features tender, flavorful meatballs made with a classic blend of herbs, Parmesan, and ground chuck, simmered slowly in rich marinara sauce for a comforting Italian meal perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 30-36 meatballs 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Binder Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 6 tbsp half-and-half (or heavy cream)
- 1½ cups breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1½ tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp Italian seasoning)
- 6 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1½ tsp table salt
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Main Ingredient
- 3 lbs ground chuck
For Serving
- 5–6 quarts marinara sauce
- Chopped fresh basil (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Mix the binder ingredients: Beat the eggs lightly in a large mixing bowl with a fork. Add the half-and-half, breadcrumbs, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Add the meat: Add the ground chuck to the breadcrumb mixture and mix gently until evenly distributed. Be careful not to overwork the mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- Shape the meatballs: Divide the mixture into equal portions and roll gently between your hands to form meatballs of uniform size to ensure even cooking.
- Freeze or cook: At this stage, you may freeze the raw meatballs for later use or proceed to cook them immediately.
- Boil the sauce: Bring 5-6 quarts of your favorite marinara sauce to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
- Cook meatballs: Add the raw meatballs carefully into the boiling sauce and return it to a boil without stirring to prevent the meatballs from breaking apart.
- Simmer: After 5 minutes, stir very gently to keep meatballs intact. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F and are cooked through.
- Reduce the sauce: Remove meatballs using a metal rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Continue simmering the sauce, stirring every 10 minutes until desired thickness is achieved. Reduction time varies from 30 minutes for store-bought sauce to several hours for homemade sauce.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve meatballs topped generously with the rich sauce and garnish with chopped fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- Do not overwork the meat mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- Ensure meatballs are uniform in size for even cooking.
- Simmer sauce gently to prevent meatballs from breaking apart.
- Meatballs can be frozen raw for convenience.
- Internal temperature of meatballs should be 165°F for safe consumption.
- Sauce reduction time depends on whether sauce is store-bought or homemade.
Keywords: Grandma's Meatball, classic Italian meatballs, homemade meatballs, marinara sauce, tender meatballs, slow simmer meatballs
