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Make-Ahead Sheet-Pan Meatballs

Meatballs being formed on sheet pan.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson

This is the simplest way to make a large batch of meatballs that you can turn into a variety of dinners, from pasta to soup to sandwiches. Stash them in the freezer so they’re ready to cook at a moment’s notice.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour

  • Yield

    Makes about 75

Ingredients

2

cups coarsely torn white sandwich bread (from 2–3 slices)

1

1/2 cups whole milk

3

lb. ground beef

1

lb. sweet Italian sausage

4

large eggs, beaten to blend

1

1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan

2

tsp. kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil (for greasing)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place bread in a large bowl, pour milk over, and let sit until moistened, about 5 minutes. Squeeze bread with your hands to remove excess milk; discard milk. Tear bread into pea-size pieces and return to bowl.

    Step 2

    Add beef, sausage, eggs, Parmesan, and salt to bread. Using your hands, gently mix until evenly distributed (do not overmix).

  2. To serve immediately:

    Step 3

    Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 500°F. Lightly coat three 18x13" rimmed baking sheets with oil. Fill a small bowl with cool water. Moisten your hands and roll meat mixture between palms into ping pong–size balls (about 1.5" diameter; 1.2 oz. each), occasionally moistening hands as needed. Arrange meatballs 1/2" apart on prepared sheets.

    Step 4

    Roast meatballs, rotating racks top to bottom once halfway through, until lightly browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes.

  3. To freeze to serve later:

    Step 5

    Line two 18x13" rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Fill a small bowl with cool water. Moisten your hands and roll meat mixture between palms into ping pong–size balls (about 1.5" diameter; 1.2 oz. each), occasionally moistening hands as needed. Arrange meatballs 1/4" apart on prepared sheets. Freeze on sheets until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 3 months.

    Step 6

    To cook meatballs from frozen, preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Transfer desired amount of frozen meatballs to prepared sheet and roast, turning once halfway through, until lightly browned and cooked through, 10–12 minutes.