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    $5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

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    Marvelous Meatballs

    February 9, 2012 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 15 Comments

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    marvelous meatballs

    We do LOTS of bulk cooking because our family of seven always seems to be eating  but momma doesn’t always want to be cooking, and it’s important to us (and to our budget) to prepare home cooked meals as often as possible.  Our five kiddos are pretty picky and all seem to have different tastes so it feels a lot like hitting the lottery when we find a dish that always pleases everyone.  These meatballs are on that short list of lottery recipes so we like to double the recipe below and make an even bigger batch to put away in the freezer because they still go fast.

    The combination of bacon and cheese in these meatballs keeps them moist and makes them so flavorful that they’re perfect on their own, with pasta, or with dipping sauce as an appetizer.  I also love that these meatballs are baked and not fried since that saves a lot of time in front the stove.  Freeze meal sized portions in freezer bags and you’ll have some easy home cooked meals ready to go when you need them!

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    Marvelous Meatballs

    Perfect with pasta, or as an appetizer with a dipping sauce!
    Prep Time1 hour
    Cook Time20 minutes
    Servings - 60 meatballs

    Ingredients 

    • 5 lbs ground beef
    • 1 lb bacon
    • 1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
    • 6 eggs
    • 3 tsp salt

    Instructions

    • Dice raw bacon then saute in a skillet on medium heat until brown.
    • After the bacon has cooled, mix with all remaining ingredients by hand in a large bowl.
    • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
    • Make 60 golf ball size meatballs from the mixture, place on baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
    • Allow to cool completely then freeze in meal size portions.
    • For future meals bake frozen meatballs for 30 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees.

    232 shares
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    Filed Under: Batch Cooking, Beef Recipes, Budget Friendly Recipes, Freezer Recipes and Freezer Meal Plans

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    Comments

    1. Claire says

      February 9, 2012 at 9:27 pm

      Great idea to make so many ahead of time. I have a family of 8, so this is a great idea!

      Reply
    2. Denise says

      February 9, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      Thanks Claire! Having a freezer stocked with homemade meals ready to pop into the oven has seriously changed my life 🙂 I highly recommend bulk cooking when possible!

      Reply
    3. Evelyn says

      February 11, 2012 at 10:19 am

      This recipe sounds terrific!!

      Reply
    4. Jimmy Day says

      February 13, 2012 at 9:27 am

      Made these over the weekend and they turned out pretty well. We mixed a few of them into a pot of marinara sauce and had them over spaghetti.

      I’d just add two quick notes:

      1 – Mix in a couple tablespoons of italian seasoning to give them a little additional flavor – especially if you plan to eat the majority of them with spaghetti.

      2 – I highly recommend cooking the meatballs on a broiler pan, as opposed to a cookie sheet, otherwise, your meatballs are going to be cooking in quite a bit of grease.

      Thanks for a great recipe, Denise!

      Reply
    5. Denise Boyd says

      February 13, 2013 at 9:17 am

      I cook for just myself but make meatballs similar to this. I usually add a little cilantro salsa to give them a bit more zing but right now meatballs made with your recipe are in my oven. Oh, I did add diced garlic and onion to the frying bacon. 🙂 I love meatballs – they’re delicious, easy to make, freeze, and reheat and so portable!

      Reply
      • Denise says

        February 14, 2013 at 1:17 pm

        Yum – what a great idea Denise! I’m going to try adding some cilantro salsa next time 🙂 Btw, what a fabulous name!

        Reply
    6. Glenda says

      February 16, 2015 at 6:30 pm

      Very good idea. I would, however, put pans in the freezer to freeze the meat balls before I froze them. I could then put them all in the same bag. Of course, the bags where you suck out the air.

      Reply
    7. Michelle Riley says

      March 22, 2015 at 2:41 pm

      I have 11 kids and three are triplets that are 10. It is nice to see other moms who have to face these challenges. Thanks for posting this recipe.

      Reply
      • Denise says

        March 22, 2015 at 4:03 pm

        Wow Michelle – and I thought I had my hands full!!!

        Reply
    8. Amy Booth says

      March 22, 2015 at 3:50 pm

      This sounds great with the bacon & cheddar cheese! i always like to try out new recipes. When I make meatballs in bulk I put a cooling rack over my baking sheet so that the meatballs are not sitting in grease as they bake. The cooling rack works similar to what you have used in the picture above with the broiler pan.

      http://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/amybooth/shop/Bakeware/Stackable+Cooling+Rack/1587

      Reply
      • Denise says

        March 22, 2015 at 4:04 pm

        What a fabulous idea Amy!! I’m definitely trying that with the next batch!

        Reply
    9. Peggy says

      March 23, 2020 at 7:10 am

      Thanks for the great recipe! If freezing, do I cook first and then also again later? Or do I freeze raw and then cook frozen at 350 deg for 30 min as directed?

      Reply
      • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

        April 29, 2020 at 12:11 pm

        I typically freeze meatballs raw in a disposable, freezable tray. Then let them thaw and cook as directed. If you cook them from frozen, you’ll need to keep them covered with foil and add to the cook time.

        Erin

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Marvelous Meatballs Bulk Cooking Recipe | Homestead & Survival says:
      March 22, 2015 at 8:00 am

      […] Marvelous Meatballs Bulk Cooking Recipe […]

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    2. Cooking Bulk Meatballs for Freezing for Make Ahead Meals | The Homestead Survival says:
      December 24, 2015 at 7:01 am

      […] https://www.5dollardinners.com/denises-marvelous-meatballs-bulk-cooking-recipe/#_a5y_p=2430426 […]

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    I’m Erin Chase…

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