Meatballs with Meaty Gravy
This meatball recipe is mighty flavorful and often requested for special occasions by my family. It’s perfect over garlic mashed potatoes or spaghetti. The leftovers are great in meatball sandwiches, or even for breakfast on cheesy toast.
The meatballs in this dish freeze very well. I recommend placing them on a cookie sheet in the freezer, freezing them, and then placing them in a Ziploc freezer bag or other freezer container. They will keep in the freezer from 3 to 6 months. For a small amount of leftovers, these will keep in an airtight container the refrigerator for about 3 days.
For an Italian meatball recipe with tomato sauce, try my meatball casserole.
How to Make This Meatball Recipe
I love adding extra flavor to homemade meatballs with the bouillon and dark beer. Although I don’t drink beer, I have noticed that bread and sauces become extraordinarily elevated when it is added to the mix. There’s really no substitute. I am often asked for substitutes when using beer and wine in recipes, but there’s really nothing that works very well in their place. You can use water, but the sauce and won’t have the same richness. It will be close, though.
I often play around with the different meats in this dish, substituting some of the chuck steak with ground pork and venison. The mixture works beautifully to create a tender meatball. Of course, you can also use regular lean ground beef or experiment with other ground meat such as ground veal or even Italian sausage. Whatever meat protein you use, they will be tasty!
Ingredients for the Meatballs
- 2 large onions
- Olive oil
- 2 pounds ground chuck steak
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 3 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 18 cubes
Ingredients for the Gravy
- 5 ounces ground chuck steak
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon of bouillon paste
- 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup dark beer
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoon blackberry jam
Instructions for Cooking Meatballs and Gravy
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- For the meatballs, roughly chop the onions and place them in a food processor. Heat oil in a large skillet, pour the onions into the skillet, and sauté the onions until they are completely caramelized.
- To a large bowl, add the ground meat, Worcestershire sauce, and breadcrumbs. Add the caramelized onions to the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are completely incorporated.
- Divide the mixture into 18 equal sized balls. Poke a piece of cheese into the center of each ball making sure that the meat covers the cheese.
- Place the meatballs in a single layer on a sheet pan (a rimmed baking sheet). Line the sheet with parchment paper or use cooking spray. Set aside while you make the gravy.
- For the gravy, heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan at medium-high heat and cook until golden. Add the onion, bouillon, and beer and allow the liquid to cook away. Then stir in the flour, mustard, and jam with 2 cups of water. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until you have the consistency you like for your gravy.
- When the gravy is almost finished, bake the meatballs in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the gravy over the top. Place meatballs back in the oven to cook for 5 minutes more.
Serve this meatball recipe over garlic mashed potatoes or rice, as a pasta sauce, or alongside crusty garlic bread. If you like, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs on top.
Meatballs with Meaty Gravy
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 2 large onions
- olive oil
- 2 pounds ground chuck steak
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 3 ounces cheddar cheese cut into 18 cubes
For the Gravy
- 5 ounces ground chuck steak
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon of bouillon paste
- 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup dark beer
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoons blackberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
For the Meatballs
- Roughly chop the onions and place them in a food processor. Heat oil in a large skillet, pour the onions into the skillet, and sauté the onions until they are completely caramelized.
- To a large bowl, add ground chuck steak, Worcestershire sauce, and breadcrumbs. Add the onions to the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are completely incorporated. Divide the mixture into 18 equal sized balls. Poke a piece of cheese into the center of each ball, making sure that the meat covers the cheese.
- Place the meatballs in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and set aside while you make the gravy.
For the Gravy
- Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan and cook until golden. Add the onion, bouillon, and beer and allow the liquid to cook away. When it does, stir in the flour, mustard, and jam with 2 cups of water. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until you have the consistency you like for your gravy.
- When the gravy is almost finished, bake the meatballs in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the gravy over the top. Place meatballs back in the oven to cook for 5 minutes more.
- Serve meatballs over garlic mashed potatoes or rice, as a pasta sauce, or alongside crusty garlic bread. If you like, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs on top.
