MEATBALLS MARINARA MAKE AHEAD DINNERS

Top Family Dinner Ready To Go From The Freezer

An all time family favourite sumptuous beef meatballs baked then finished off in my five family's Italian marinara sauce that will leave your spoon going back for more even when you belly says enough!  To be even more decedent we love to finish this off with a generous helping of gooey melted cheese pull mozeralla or salty Parmesan cheese.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cooking time 30 minutes (3hrs sauce simmering time if you can)

Ingredients 

(serves 4)

Beef Balls

1 kg chuck steak beef

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp crushed red chillies

1/2 tsp mexin chilli powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan 

1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional) breadcrumbs instead

1 drizzle olive oil 

Five Familes Marinara

1 onion finely sliced

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 glug olive oil

1 glass red wine

1 glass white wine

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Himalayan sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh parsley (optional)

Five Families Sauce

If you can make the sauce earlier in the day and simmer really gently for up to three hours or even the day before it will be even more gorgeous as it marinates.  Heat the olive oil medium hot, add the onions and garlic and soften for around ten minutes, add the wine and reduce by a third, add the tomatoes, oregano and leave to gently simmer for 20 minutes if in a hurry or up to three hours ticking away developing a deeper rich flavour, and even better the day before.

Meatballs

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees C / 370 degrees F.  Mix all the ingredients in to the chuck steak mince evenly I use ground flaxseed over breadcrumbs as a binder, because it's loaded with omega 3 & 6 and paleo, divide in to golf ball size balls, place in a roasting tray, drizzle olive oil over the balls and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Finish The Dish 

Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer the meatballs and cooking juices in to the marinara sauce, leave to gently simmer, you can serve immediately now but this is where more time can make all the difference for deeper flavour, I make the marinara ahead of time, add the cooked meatballs and cooking juices and then leave to gently simmer away for around an hour then take off the heat and leave to rest for an hour or more, then re heat for my family's dinner when required, finish with the parsley and a generous helping of cheese sprinkled over the top.  This is such a flexible recipe, super fast or slow with added depth of flavour, but in all a honest dinner on the table, full bellies and family time is the most important task on a busy family night!