Italian Meatball Soup

    
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

This recipe is so easy, my 9 year old daughter can make it.  You can throw everything into a slowcooker and let it cook all day when you are busy. Just cook the noodles separate and stir them in when you are ready to eat.

Italian Meatball Soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced, or 1 can sliced carrots
2 cups spaghettie sauce
4 cups water
4 beef or chicken boullion cubes
1 recipe of meatballs (see below)
1 16 oz. package of pasta (your choice)

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on low all day, or simmer on the stovetop 30 minutes before you eat.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the pasta, cook until the pasta is as tender as you like it.  Serve with yummy garlic bread.

My Meatballs or Meatloaf or Hamburgers (oh my!)
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced (diced green pepper is good too, but optional)
1 cup bread crumbs (I like to use my homemade wheat bread.  I pulse the bread in my blender to make crumbs).
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 or 3 Tbs. ketchup (just squirt some in)
1 tsp. mustard (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)
 Salt and pepper to taste (obviously you won't taste the raw meat, I hope!  Just sprinkle some on.)

Mix everything together.  If the mixture is too dry, add a little more milk.  If it is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.  If making meatballs, form into balls and place on wire racks on top of a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.  You can use the meatballs at this point, or cool and place into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 or 4 months.

If you are making a meatloaf, put the mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  It will shrink as the fat cooks out.  Drain off the fat.  You can serve immediately, or cool it and wrap it to freeze.  I love to freeze it and then I have a quick meal.  Simply thaw in the microwave and serve.  Instant potatoes work well as a side dish when you are crunched for time.

If you are using this mixture for hamburgers, scoop up the mixture using an ice cream scoop, to make uniform patties.  I put the patties on a baking sheet and flash freeze them.  When they are firm, I bag them up, then pull them out when I need them.  Cook as you would frozen burgers.

I like making this mixture when I have 3-5 lbs. of hamburger to deal with.  I can prep a lot of meals at once with meatballs, meatloaf and hamburger patties, ready to go in my freezer.
~Lena