Meatballs & Gravy

Everyone knows nobody makes better gravy and meatballs than your mom. Even though my Mom and I use most of the same ingredients, our gravy and meatballs taste completely different. If you don't want to make this much, cut the recipe in half. I have a spare freezer so I make enough for a year (then I only have to make it once).

MEATBALLS & GRAVY

Gravy

• 12 cans of Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes with Basil

• 1 large can of Hunt’s Tomato Paste

• 1 large red onion (diced)

• Salt & Pepper

• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

• Fresh Chopped Basil & Parsley

Meatballs

• 5 packs (approx. 12 lbs.) of meatloaf mixture (beef, veal & pork)

• 1 head of garlic, minced

• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley

• 4 tablespoons fresh basil

• 2 cups Locatelli cheese

• 2 cups Italian-Style Breadcrumbs

• 10 eggs (my general rule of thumb is 2 eggs per pack of meat)

• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

• Canola/Olive Oil (I use Canola oil to fry in but some mix half and half. If you use vegetable oil, that's fine, too!)

Hot & Sweet Sausage (2 packs of each, cut into 3” logs)

2 Bridgford Pepperoni (1 Large Stick/16 oz.)

(Peel skin and cut into 3” logs and slice in half)

Directions:

1. Mix beef, veal & pork mixture with crushed/minced garlic, parsley, Locatelli cheese, wet breadcrumbs, eggs, salt & pepper. Roll into balls and fry on medium heat in canola/olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of a frying pan generously) until brown on all sides. Remove meatballs and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel (to drain excess oil).

2. Fry hot and sweet sausage until cooked, remove and set aside.

3. Fry pepperoni for a minute or two on each side, remove and set aside.

4. Add the diced onion to the oil and cook until caramelized, then gently add tomato paste and slowly whisk until everything is blended together (this is the liquid gold mixture of all the meat drippings!). Let simmer for a few minutes and then add the liquid gold mixture to the crushed tomatoes in a sauce pot. Add meat, sugar (to reduce acidity), salt & pepper and fresh chopped parsley and basil and let simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring often so the bottom doesn’t burn.