Chicago-Style Italian Meatballs Recipe Packs In the Flavor (20 Minutes, 8 Ingredients) by Donna John

On a recent trip to Chicago, I was served some delicious Chicago-style meatballs created by a local chef. The man sitting beside me ordered the same thing, so a conversation started up about what makes a meatball "Chicago style." He was from Chicago, and told me that for him, it meant the meatball was made with ground pork and Italian sausage. No beef in his Chicago-style meatballs. You know when I got home, I had to try and recreate this delicious meatball recipe, after doing more research.

Photo credit: Donna John

This moist Italian meatball recipe is delicious floating in a sea of marinara sauce or vodka sauce on a bed of your favorite pasta. To make this high-protein recipe, you only need eight simple ingredients. Here is your short shopping list for these delicious meatballs: ground pork, ground Italian sausage, white bread, milk, eggs, Parmesan cheese (read about the health benefits of Parmesan cheese), fresh garlic and fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley (parsley has health benefits).

Cooking Notes: If you can only find Italian sausage links, simply cut open the casing and remove the meat. The meatballs freeze well, so this recipe is perfect for meal-prepping. You could also cut the recipe in half for smaller families.

Photo credit: under license from BigStock

Serve these flavorful and juicy meatballs with your favorite sauce for spaghetti and meatballs, pile them onto rolls for a delicious meatball sandwich, use them for meatball casseroles or add them in your favorite dinner recipes.

Cuisine: American / Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 5 slices white bread
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 - 1 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped fine
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage (hot preferred, but use your favorite)
• 2 pounds ground pork

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the bread slices in a bowl. Pour the milk over the top, then use your clean hands to mash into a paste. (For gluten-free meatballs, use gluten-free bread.)
2. Add the eggs and stir well to combine. (Your hands are still the best tool for this job.)
3. Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. Mix well to combine.
4. Add ground pork and ground Italian sausage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix until just combined. (You can use hot, milk or sweet Italian sausage, though I was told hot is preferred for Chicago-style meatballs.)
5. Form the meat mixture into meatballs. The size you make them will determine the number you get.
6. Put the meatballs onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. Alternately, you could cook them in a little olive oil in a skillet. Use the meatballs as desired. You can also free the meatballs for quick dinners later.
   

Photo credit: Donna John

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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