Dutch Oven Meatballs with Marinara
Dutch Oven Meatballs with Marinara are a quick, easy, delicious weeknight meal! Serve them over pasta or as a party appetizer!
Servings 4 people
Calories 1896kcal
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 spicy sausage link casing removed
- 1 slice bread ground in the blender
- ½ minced onion
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 minced shallot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ cup white wine dry
- 12 oz can crushed tomato
- 1 parmesan rind
Instructions
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients but the olive oil in a bowl. I suggest just grabbing a tablespoon of tomato sauce from the can of crushed tomatoes you’re going to use for the marinara-the sauce won’t miss the bit that you’re adding to the meatballs.
- Using your hands, mix all of the meat together until it forms a well-combined ball, then stop. You won’t want to overwork the meat or you’ll end up with tough meatballs.
- Add olive oil to a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- With a two-teaspoon scoop, form balls and place them into the dutch oven. Measure out about 18-20 meatballs, placing them into the heated dutch oven as they’re formed.
- Pan fry them for 10 minutes, turning them as you go so that all sides are browned.
- Place the meatballs onto a paper towel lined plate and drain the fat out of the dutch oven.
FOR THE SAUCE
- In the same dutch oven that you just made the meatballs and drained the fat from, add the olive oil, garlic, and shallot. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the spices and give them a stir to wake them up. Then add the white wine. It’ll bubble and deglaze the pan.
- Then, slowly add the crushed tomatoes and throw in the parmesan rind.
- Bring it to a simmer for 2 minutes and then turn it down to low.
PUT IT TOGETHER
- Return the meatballs to the sauce. Toss.
- Top with parmesan, chopped basil and serve over pasta, if desired...enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions
Ground beef - ground turkey is a good 1:1 substitution.
Sausage - if you don’t have a sausage link, just leave it out. Or replace it with a mild or sweet sausage link if spiciness is of concern.
White bread - you can use any bread crumbs. ¼ cup of dry, unseasoned bread crumbs are equal to a slice of bread. So if you’re not using a slice of bread, substitute for ¼ cup of UNSEASONED or Italian-seasoned bread crumbs.
Make Ahead, Leftovers, and Reheating
Make ahead - this is a fabulous make-ahead main dish. Simply make the recipe as directed, and save in a freezer-safe container (or ziplock) for up to 2 months.
Leftovers - If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they will save in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
Reheating - To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over medium-low heat with a splash of water or white wine, covered, until warmed throughout.
Nutrition
Calories: 1896kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 89g | Fat: 153g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 82g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 486mg | Sodium: 5239mg | Potassium: 1630mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 439IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 14mg