Fancy meatballs

We eat a lot of meatballs. Somehow, they’ve risen to the top of all the recipes I make —  likely because they’re both tasty and convenient. Monika and Daphne like taking them to school for lunch. Glen and I like them for a quick lunch, and we all like that they can be made into so many different varieties.

Meatballs are so well-liked here that I stepped up from making 3pounds at a time to 4pounds at a time. I can throw all the ingredients in my stand mixer and have the mix ready to roll in minutes. The scooping and rolling can feel time-consuming, but I enjoy an audiobook while I work, and that helps the time pass.

I usually just serve meatballs as they are, but I recently found a super simple recipe that turns plain meatballs into fancy, even more delicious meatballs. The level-up is a magical sauce made from roasted cherry tomatoes and Boursin cheese.

I had never purchased Boursin cheese before finding this recipe. Boursin is a soft, spreadable flavored cheese. Like cream cheese, it’s made from cow’s milk and cream, but it has a lighter texture. Specifically, Boursin is a Gournay cheese, originally from France; I found it with the fancy cheeses at my grocery store. Warmed and combined with roasted tomatoes, it lends the best cheesy herb flavor to the sauce.

 To make this tastes-like-a-restaurant meal even better, these fancy meatballs are made in a 9 x 13 pan. I live for recipes that I can make in a 9 x 13 pan. When dinner is done, I can snap a lid on and slide the whole dish into the fridge.

Lastly, for the hat trick, this recipe is easily customizable. Don’t like peppers and onions? Leave them out. Love fresh basil? Toss some snipped leaves in when you mix the sauce. I’m thinking of adding a handful of baby spinach to our next batch. However you make it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Creamy Boursin - Cherry Tomato Sauce

1  package (5.3-ounces) Boursin 

Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese

3 cups cherry tomatoes

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

Oregano

Salt

Black pepper

Oil (liquid coconut, avocado or 

olive)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, peppers and onions in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Drizzle with some oil. Sprinkle oregano, salt and pepper, then stir to combine. Clear a small space in center of pan and place Boursin in the opening. Roast for 30 minutes until the tomatoes have softened, onions are translucent and the Boursin is hot and creamy. Remove pan from oven. Smash tomatoes with fork and mix with cheese to make a sauce. Add 2 pounds of meatballs (or enough to fill pan with single layer).  Stir to combine. (If meatballs are pre-made, reheat before adding.) Top generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Return pan to oven for 10 minutes to melt cheese. Serve as is or with pasta.

Italian Meatballs

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk plain Greek 

yogurt

2/3 cup oatmeal, finely ground

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons oregano or Italian 

herbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds ground beef

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, beat eggs lightly. Stir in yogurt, ground oatmeal and seasonings until well blended. Add ground beef and mix completely. Using a No. 40 scoop, or 2 tablespoons, divide beef mixture into meatballs and place on baking sheet. Roll into balls. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until meatballs are browned. Makes around 44 small meatballs.

Sadie Frericks and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minnesota. They have three children: Dan, Monika, and Daphne. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.