Hello my fine friends! Thought it was about time to get back to writing and sharing my recipes. I have quite a few I want to share, but I’ll start off easy for now.

When it starts to get a bit cooler out, like it is in Chicago, my mind starts to wander to comfort food and nothing says comfort to me like piping hot MEATBALLS!!

I grew up in a Irish-Italian household, and most of the time the hearty Italian meals were reserved for my Nana Jo’s house or my Aunt Marlene’s. My Nana Jo told me the secret to moist (ew, I said it) meatballs had 2 parts to it; the first part was a nice, sweet yellow onion diced pretty finely, and the other was something called a panade, simply a mix of milk and bread. Some folks use breadcrumbs, but I find that tends to make the meatballs a little tougher. So like my Nana, I tend to use fresh white bread. Hamburger or hot dog buns can be used in a pinch. Just as long as it’s not stale.

The other key to a tender meatball is a light touch, and mixing by hand. Save your wooden spoons for the marinara sauce. You want to get in the bowl and lightly mix everything until it comes together.

One other note – do NOT use more than 1 egg. Trust me. 1 egg, if scrambled before adding to your mixture, will suitably bind everything together. More than that, and you’re making meatloaf.

Some folks sear them in a skillet and then finish in the oven. I prefer to just bake them completely in the oven. 1 less dish to wash!

Below is my usual go-to recipe, but feel free to mix up the proteins, or even the spices. Your choice.

Hope you try my recipe, either alone or on some fresh bread with cheese and sauce, or even on top of, you guessed it, spaghetti.

And tell em Rocco sent you!

Recipe – serves 4-8 folks, depending on how hungry they are!

1 lb ground chuck (fat is flavor!)

1 lb ground pork

1 lb Italian Sausage, either mild or hot

2-3 pieces of white bread

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 small onion, diced

1 egg

Italian seasonings, such as Basil, Thyme, red pepper flakes, parsely

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and make sure the rack is in the middle of the stove .

2. Scramble the egg in a separate dish, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the milk and the bread, until the bread is thoroughly wet. You may need a little more milk than what i’ve indicated. Set aside for about 5 minutes.

3. Add the meat to the bowl with the panade and then all of the other ingredients, and lightly mix together with you hands until combined. Roll into same-size meatballs.

4. *This is the baking option: On either a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper, or a greased broiler pan, space meatballs on pan with a little space in between. Place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, until a light crust forms on one side.

5. Remove pan from oven and flip the meatballs so the other side gets a crisp outer shell, too. Cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until the meat thermometer reads 165.

6. Remove from the oven and either let cool for storage, or submerge into your favorite sauce. Eat and enjoy!

*If you prefer to pan fry, simply place meatballs in a greased pan over medium heat and fry, turning every once in a while to get desired crust.