Meatball Casserole
It usually hits you from out of nowhere. You walk into a kitchen and bam!—there it is—a smell so welcoming and so familiar that you find yourself transported to another time and place. Smells are magical like that. Every time Sandy starts to make this dish, her mind becomes filled with fond memories from her childhood of meals shared with her trio of sisters, Yvonne, Yvette, and Kellye. This was her family’s favorite meal growing up, and we hope that it will create as many sweet memories for you as it has for Sandy. Don’t confuse chili sauce with hot pepper sauce or canned chili (been there, done that!). Chili sauce is found in the grocery next to ketchup. We suggest serving this casserole over rice. Try our recipe on page 195.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 2
Combine the ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, bell peppers, salt, pepper, and egg in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the soup and milk. Add half of the soup mixture to the meat mixture and mix well.
Step 3
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Form the meat mixture into balls. Toss each meatball in the flour and shake off any excess. Working in batches, cook the meatballs in the hot oil, turning to brown all sides, about 10 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Transfer the meatballs to the prepared casserole dish.
Step 4
Combine the chili sauce and the remaining soup mixture; pour over the meatballs. Bake for 30 minutes or until the liquid is bubbling and light brown on top.
notes
Step 5
The meatballs for this casserole freeze well. Prepare them ahead of time by rolling them out and putting them in the bottom of a casserole dish. Use wax paper to separate layers, if needed. When you’re ready to make the casserole, thaw the meatballs and follow the recipe starting with heating the oil.
Step 6
It’s a Pollock family tradition to eat lunch together on Sunday afternoons, and Sandy’s mom always puts together an amazing spread for everyone. Front and center at many of these Sunday meals is this meatball casserole. Enjoy!
