This simple crockpot recipe has provided us with a base for our meatball recipes, the meatballs were so tender that with a little tweaking / seasoning they would make incredible pasta meatballs. As always the beauty of cooking with a crockpot is in the simplicity of it. The broth was quite tasty and made for a great winter stew.
Hearty Meatball Stew
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 cup italian bread crumbs
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 3 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
Instructions
- Combine beef, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, cheese, salt, garlic salt and pepper in large bowl.
- Using everything in your bowl, form 2-inch-round meatballs until meatless.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Brown meatballs on all sides.
- Transfer to crock-pot slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.
- Cover; cook on low 4 to 6 hours or on high 2 to 4 hours.
TGIAC Notes
- We used the beef/pork/veal mixture for our meatballs.
- Basically we seasoned to our desired taste. IE. We added lots of crushed chili peppers for a nice kick.
Here we go, all the ingredients.
Chop Chop Chop…that’s celery if you haven’t figured it out! And chop those carrots in the back when you’re done!
Mmmm meat!
Pretty straightforward, bread crumbs and eggs
Milk and cheese
Season, Season, Season
Brrrrrrrrrrrr cold meat! Mix her up!
Let’s get the ball rolling…get it?? [John rolls eyes here!]
Fry until a nice brown
That’s alotta meat balls!
Throw the rest of the stuff in the crock-pot
Keep dumping stuff in…
No no, you’re not done yet! Ok, now you’re done! Cover and wait 6 hours…stirring occasionally
Serve and enjoy! Be sure to have crushed chili, freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese to really get the full TGIAC experience.
Have you tried out this recipe? Then we’d like to hear from you! Share your thoughts and tips by leaving us a comment! Thanks from TGIAC!