The Buns
We don't have a grocery store just down the road, so I had to make the buns from scratch. I was pretty nervous about it because I'd never made bread on my own before...and also every attempt to make bread at Mill Hollow this year had failed prior to this. I just used a basic french bread recipe, but separated the dough into smaller buns for individual sandwiches.
I can't remember the exact recipe I used, but most french bread recipes are pretty similar, so you can't really go wrong. I recommend checking out cooks.com and searching for a recipe that looks appealing. Or you can go the easy route and grab some rolls from the bakery at the grocery store.Oh! I almost forgot...one trick when cooking french bread (and pretty much any other bread or cake) is to put a pan with about an inch of water on the bottom rack of the oven while baking. It helps keep moisture locked in as the bread bakes in a humid oven.
Meatballs
I used Rachael Ray's meatball recipe with a couple changes based on which ingredients I had/didn't have. They meatballs were divine! I'd definitely make them again.
The actual recipe won't make this many meatballs...I multiplied the recipe by 7 for the amount of people I was cooking for.
The actual recipe won't make this many meatballs...I multiplied the recipe by 7 for the amount of people I was cooking for.1.5 lbs ground beef
1 large egg, beaten
3 handfuls (about 1 cup) of Italian bread crumbs *I made my own bread crumbs by throwing some slices of bread in the oven on a cookie sheet and sprinkled some Italian seasoning and garlic salt over them. After they were toasty, I crumbled them up (you can do this by hand or in a blender/food processor). I ended up adding like 1.5 cups or so because the bread crumbs smelled so good.
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (I absolutely love the word Worcestershire. Is that weird?)
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano *I only had the sprinkle can of Parmesan, but it was still delish. I actually put in about 1/2 cup or more. You can never go wrong with lots of cheese.
A bit more Italian seasoning, just for good measure
A couple sprinkles of salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450.
Place ground beef in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of the meat (so it makes a beef nest). Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Roll mix into one-inch balls and space evenly on a nonstick baking sheet. Cook at 450 for about 12 minutes. Break open a meatball and make sure the meat is cooked through before removing from the oven. Serves 4.
Rachael Ray's Marinara Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
about 2 tablespoons parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1-14 oz can cunky style crushed tomatoes
Salt a pepper, to taste
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and the season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a bubble. Reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.
Combine meatballs and sauce and pile into sub rolls. Top with shredded cheese (I used mozarella, but provolone or an Italian 4-cheese blend would be good, too). Enjoy!
I also made the infamous 'Angie Salad' (a fruit salad my mom has made for YEARS) as a side dish. It's pretty much my favorite thing in the entire world. I don't think family parties and other group gatherings would be the same without it. I'll post the recipe some other time. Trust me, once you try it, you'll be hooked.
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