What would you all say if I told you that I had never, NOT EVER, eaten a meatball until October 25, 2008. It’s true. October 25. I’ll remember that day fondly for as long as I shall live.
(Okay, so I should mention that my first ever taste of a meatball was at a wedding and THAT is how I remember the date. I don’t generally remember the dates of the first tastes of food.)
I’ve made meatballs quite a few times since then. I like meatballs. Teryiaki meatballs. Served on a toothpick. Because I’m fancy.
I made these meatballs for a New Year’s Eve get together and then I ate them all. You should make them for your next party. But save some for your guests. Or just make them for dinner like I did the other night.
Let’s get started.
Let’s start with a pound of ground beef.
Alright now. Hold on to your hats. When I make meatloaf or meatballs, I don’t use bread crumbs. I use Stove Top Stuffing. That’s right. Stove Top. It is SO good. Measure out about a cup of dry stuffing and add just enough water to moisten it. You don’t want it soppy wet, but you don’t want it dry either.
Dump that on top of your meat.
You can make your own sauce if you like, but that’s too much work for me. I LOVE this teriyaki sauce, so that’s what I use. Use whichever brand you like most. Or make your own, you over-achiever.
Dump in about 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce and crack one egg right on top. You can sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder or any other spices you like right about now. I usually keep it simple and go for salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
If you don’t live with a bunch of picky eaters, you can also add in some chopped onions at this point. Or some bell peppers. Or some grated carrot. It’s all good. Unless you are married to my husband and then it’s all bad.
Now go ahead and stir everything together. At this point I decided that I had too high of a meat to stuffing ratio and so I threw in some oats. Oats make me feel healthy. If you prefer you can add a bit more stuffing. But the oats are good too. I promise. I added about 1/2 of a cup.
Mm, mm. Raw meat. (Gag.)
Now get your hands back in there and gently form it into little balls. I shoot for golf ball sized meatballs, but you can make them a bit smaller or bigger if you prefer. Just remember, the bigger they are the longer it will take to cook them.
If you have a bright yellow plate, use it. Arrange your meatballs in the shape of a smiley face. It’ll make you happy. I promise.
Add about 1/4 inch of oil to a deep 10-12 inch round skillet. Get it good and hot and then add your meatballs.
Fried meat. It’s good.
I believe I cooked these for about 8-10 minutes, flipping them over once halfway through.
When they are finished cooking, put them on a paper towel lined plate and let them drain for a minute or two.
If you’re like me and you have a good, healthy fear of raw meat you can crack one of these open and check to be sure it’s done. If it is, go ahead and eat it. If it’s not, weep.
Add another batch of meatballs to your skillet. While those are cooking you’ll need to keep the others warm. I like to dump about 3/4 cup of teriyaki sauce into the bottom of my crock pot, set it to low, and add the cooked and drained meatballs to that. It keeps them warm and it lets them soak in the teriyaki sauce. Trust me…a teriyaki sauce bath is a good thing.
Serve ’em on a bed of rice. Or next to rice. Or with a toothpick stuck in the middle of them. Or with a fork. Or just get a shovel and start scooping them right into your open mouth.
Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup Stove Top Stuffing for Chicken
- Water to moisten stuffing
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients except oil.
- Form into golf ball sized balls.
- Add meatballs to hot oil. Don't overcrowd pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until meat is fully cooked.
- Drain on a paper towel and transfer to a crockpot (or dish in the oven) with 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce. roll meatballs around to coat in sauce.
- Serve as an appetizer (with fancy toothpicks!) or as a main dish.
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Sue M says
Thank you for the great recipes. More importantly, thank you for your humor. I laughed out loud!! I will be back….and next time I won’t spend a lot of time googling around looking for something. “I promise.” Sue
golf ball washer says
You rock. World needs more souls like you.
Leslie says
Dave is so “basic” (that’s his fancy word for “picky”) that not only will he refuse to eat meatballs with onions or gated carrot, he’d refuse to eat teriyaki flavor! This sounds delicious, though. And you take such good pictures of it all. How do you do that? My food pictures are the worst.
Foodista says
Seriously, I had fun reading this post. Hope you can share this recipe over at Foodista. We have launched an online food and cooking encyclopedia ala wikipedia. Add a recipe and you can win a $100 gift card to Sur la table. Don’t forget to register first so we know who to thank the recipe for. Thanks!
Donna says
Great pictures and recipe. I usually don’t laugh while reading the recipe instructions – I love your humor. And – darn it – my husband won’t eat meatloaf!
Cameron says
I loves me some meatballs. And I must declare, I am as picky as your dear Cleatus. If I so much as find a hint of onion in anything, I start to throw a fit like a three year old.
Amber says
These look delish! The stovetop is inspired! I actually use stovetop in place of breadcrumbs on baked pork chops. And instead of eggs, I use italian dressing. It is YUMMY.