Meatballs in sauce

anon71

Ok, so I'm making meatballs tomorrow. Mince, garlic, onion, fresh thyme etc..

I normally make a tomato sauce and serve with pasta. But I'd love to do something else, like serve with a gravy type sauce but with more oomph and mashed potato and veg. Sort of my version of/tribute to IKEA meatballs.

Ideally I'd brown the meatballs first on a pan and then put into a casserole for 30 minutes or so with the afore mentioned sauce.

What I need is a nice recipe for the sauce part. I don't use packet sauces so something I can make from scratch and something that won't take too long to put together before it ends up in the oven.

Any ideas??

Faith

Yes! I had a thread about this a few years ago, and I got brilliant ideas from it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057127010/2?

fermanagh_man

Try courgette noodles instead of pasta
I make them using this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0026RMEK4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2/254-9392193-5911556?ie=UTF8&qid=1471541383&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=zoodle+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=41Z1bPP2iRL&ref=plSrch

The Hill Billy

In the pan that you fry the meatballs - add a bit more oil & fry some chopped scallions until the whites start browning. Then add a couple of chopped tomatoes & fry until softened. Add 300ml beef stock & reduce until you get the consistency you want. Goes great with meatballs & mash.

anon71

Faith wrote: »

Yes! I had a thread about this a few years ago, and I got brilliant ideas from it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057127010/2?

Swear to God I haven't even read all that thread but your OP made me laugh. The IKEA effect I'm calling it. It's exactly what I'm looking for. Legend!!

anon71

fermanagh_man wrote: »

Try courgette noodles instead of pasta
I make them using this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0026RMEK4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2/254-9392193-5911556?ie=UTF8&qid=1471541383&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=zoodle+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=41Z1bPP2iRL&ref=plSrch

I've done the courgetti thing but I really want the whole mashed spuds and veg thing. I have a hankering for meat and two veg!!

anon71

A lot of the sauces have beef stock as their base. Wonder how it would go with a chicken stock base, mushrooms, peppercorns, cream, herbs and seasoning?

Think that's what I'll try tomorrow...

The Hill Billy

If you are making your meatballs from beef you may find chicken stock a bit too 'light'. It may work with pork or lamb meatballs though. It's all down to personal taste at the end of the day.

Dizzyblonde

I made Jamie Oliver's meatball sub recipe before and the gravy is amazing. You keep some of the meat aside to use in the gravy. I don't remember having fennel though so I probably left it out.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/mega-meatball-sub/#CJPPQxtlhr3JDHpp.97

anon71

The Hill Billy wrote: »

If you are making your meatballs from beef you may find chicken stock a bit too 'light'. It may work with pork or lamb meatballs though. It's all down to personal taste at the end of the day.

The meatballs are steak mince so I'll go with the beef stock for them. I always use beef for meatballs, keep meaning to buy pork mince and mix both together. Meatballs are made and in the fridge. I'll be cooking around 7, so I'll make the sauce then. I'll post a pic on the Dinner forum, if I think of it.

The Hill Billy

Best of luck!

anon71

Total success. Pic is on dinner forum. Thanks to all. So happy when a cooking idea comes to fruition!!

BailMeOut

I always use 50/50 pork/beef for my meatballs and find so much nicer than 100% beef and find a lot easier to brown them in the oven. Then pop in your tomato sauce and into the oven to slow bake for around an hour.