Freeze or Eat Meatballs In Wine Sauce
Description:
A gourmet treat from your freezer. You can easily double this recipe. Your guests will love the flavors and you will love the ease!
Recipe Category: Fruit 🍇
Keywords: Meat, < 60 Mins, Freezer, Stove Top, Easy
Aggregated Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Calories per Serving: 31.6
Fat Content: 2.3g
Saturated Fat Content: 1g
Cholesterol Content: 10.3mg
Sodium Content: 48.5mg
Carbohydrate Content: 0.5g
Fiber Content: 0.1g
Sugar Content: 0.1g
Protein Content: 1.9g
Recipe Yield: 80 meatballs
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Ground beef | 1 1/2 lbs |
| Walnuts | 1/4 cup |
| Onion | 1/4 cup |
| Garlic | 1 clove |
| Parmesan cheese | 1/4 cup |
| Dried basil | 2 tsp |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp |
| Egg | 1 |
| Sour cream | 1 cup |
| Butter | 3 tbsp |
| Red wine | 1 cup |
Instructions:
-
Combine Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, chopped walnuts, finely diced onion, minced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, dried basil, salt, egg, and sour cream. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated. -
Shape Meatballs:
Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, ensuring they are evenly sized for even cooking. -
Brown Meatballs:
Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Then, add the meatballs to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd them. Brown the meatballs on all sides until they are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. -
Remove from Pan:
Once the meatballs are browned, remove them from the pan and transfer them to a serving dish or a freezer container if you plan to freeze them. -
Deglaze Pan:
Pour red wine into the same pan used for browning the meatballs. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This will add incredible flavor to the sauce. -
Simmer (For Immediate Serving):
If serving the meatballs immediately, return them to the pan with the wine sauce. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for about 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. If the sauce thickens too much, you can add more wine or a bit of water to adjust the consistency. -
Freeze (For Later Serving):
To freeze the meatballs, pour the wine sauce over them and allow them to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer the meatballs and sauce to a freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave some space at the top to account for expansion during freezing. -
Defrost and Reheat:
When ready to serve the frozen meatballs, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, reheat the meatballs and sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through. Again, you can adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding more wine if needed.
Enjoy these flavorful meatballs in wine sauce as a convenient freezer meal or a delightful main course for your next dinner party! Serve them with crusty bread or over pasta for a complete and satisfying meal. 🍷🍝
