If you’re a fan of pork, these meatballs, made using three types of meat and fresh parsley, are probably some of the best meatballs you’ll ever eat. Their amazing flavor comes from the mixture of ground pork, mild Italian sausage, and bacon used to make them. Add in a hint of fresh lemon zest, and you’ll soon discover that these little balls of pork goodness are simply too good to resist.
How do you like your balls? Cough, cough, cough. You know, your meatballs? Spicy? Covered in tomato sauce? Plain? Cheesy? Garlicky? How about green? Yeah, you read that right. How do you feel about green balls? Cough, cough, cough. I mean, how would you feel if I were to place a big ol’ plate of green-tinted meatballs in front of you? Would you run away screaming, or would you grab a fork and dig right on in? Well, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll start hoovering those lil’ balls of green porkiness into your mouth, because they’re absolutely amazing. Turns out, that green balls are a deliciously good thing. Cough, cough, cough.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Slices White Bread
- 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, Stems Removed
- 6 Slices Pre-Cooked Thick-Cut Bacon
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Pound Ground Pork
- 1 Pound Loose Mild Italian Sausage
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the olive oil onto a baking sheet and use your hand to spread the oil out evenly; set aside.
- Place the bread slices into a food processor and process for 30 seconds.
- Add the parsley, pre-cooked bacon, lemon zest, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Process for 30 seconds.
- Add the cream and process for 15 seconds.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, sausage, and food processor mixture with your hands until well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the meat, before rolling each scoop into a meatball with your hands.
- Place each meatball onto the olive oil greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
Suggestions:
- Try not to over-mix the meatball mixture. You want all of the ingredients to be evenly dispersed, however, over-working the meat mixture can make the meatballs tough.
- Do not skimp on the parsley and lemon zest in this recipe. They add tremendous flavor.
- You may think that the meatballs are too large when you first roll them, however, remember they will shrink in size as they cook.
Improvements:
- Replace the Mild Italian Sausage in this recipe with Hot Italian Sausage.
- Use a few cloves of freshly minced garlic in this recipe in lieu of garlic powder.
- Serve these meatballs over pasta or in a meatball sub with this Make-Ahead Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Slices White Bread
- 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, Stems Removed
- 6 Slices Pre-Cooked Thick-Cut Bacon
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Pound Ground Pork
- 1 Pound Loose Mild Italian Sausage
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the olive oil onto a baking sheet and use your hand to spread the oil out evenly; set aside.
- Place the bread slices into a food processor and process for 30 seconds.
- Add the parsley, pre-cooked bacon, lemon zest, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Process for 30 seconds.
- Add the cream and process for 15 seconds.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, sausage, and food processor mixture with your hands until well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the meat, before rolling each scoop into a meatball with your hands.
- Place each meatball onto the olive oil greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
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