Cream of Mushroom Meatballs

A dish featuring meatballs brimming with celery, parsley and onion, topped with a mouthwatering, creamy homemade mushroom sauce.

Meat Balls:

1 c Fresh Bread Crumbs*

¼ c Whole Milk

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Stalks Celery, finely diced

Small Yellow Onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp Italian Flat Leafed Parsley, minced

1 Egg, lightly whisked

1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt

¾ tsp Black Pepper

2 lb 80/20 Ground Beef

Cream of Mushroom:

12 oz Button or Cremini Mushrooms, brushed clean and diced

2 tbsp Unsalted Butter

1/3 c All Purpose Flour

1 c Whole Milk, warmed

1 c Unsalted Chicken Broth

Preheat oven to 400°

Have ready two large rimmed baking sheets, lined with nonstick aluminum foil.

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and pour over milk. Mix together and let stand for 10 minutes, or until milk has been mostly absorbed. Squeeze out excess moisture and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add celery and onion, and sauté until onion is translucent and vegetables have softened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs and vegetables; mix in egg, salt and pepper. Add in ground beef, and gently mix together with hands. Alternatively, mix with a fork. Scoop up 1 ½-2 tbsp of ground beef mixture and roll into a balls, placing them 1” apart on baking sheets to ensure even baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

While meatballs are in the oven, begin with your sauce. Add butter to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add mushrooms and saute until cooked through, (the juices will release and mushrooms will take on a brown color) up to 10 minutes. Sprinkle over flour, and stir until a thin paste coats the mushrooms. SLOWLY drizzle in warmed milk and chicken broth, whisking as you go, until all of the flour is completely dissolved. Increase heat to medium high, and allow mixture to come to a boil. Stir until sauce has thickened. Remove from the stovetop, and season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.

Transfer meatballs to a serving platter and spoon over mushroom sauce. Serve and enjoy.

Makes 6-8 Servings

*To make fresh breadcrumbs, tear day-old white country bread into chunks and place into a food processor, about 1 ½ c. Pulse until a fine crumb has formed.

Would pair well with:

Decadent Mashed Potatoes

Simple and Fresh Green Beans

Southern Cornbread Dressing

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