Easy "Oven-Baked" Potluck Meatballs

This recipe has been around for decades, maybe since I started cooking. It is my go-to for potlucks (just ask my colleagues) and it is cheap to make. Really, just the cost of the ground beef, everything else is likely in your refrigerator and pantry.

If you've been making meatballs in your skillet for the past 20 years. Let me enlighten you...It's a breeze in the oven, and grease on parchment paper is much easier for cleanup.

AND while your meatballs are baking you can make the sauce.

Easy Oven-Baked Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients for Meatballs

• 3lbs Lean Ground Beef

• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

• 2 Eggs

• 2 teaspoon Onion Powder

• 3/4 cup of White Milk

• 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 2 cups Brown Sugar

• 1/2 cup White Vinegar

• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce

• 1/4 cup Water

• 1 tablespoon Corn Starch

Directions for Meatballs

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Step 2

In a large bowl add raw ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion powder, nutmeg, salt and milk. Mix until all ingredients are well blended.

Step 3

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 4

Roll individual meatballs to roughly 1 inch in size. (I was able to get 40 meatballs out of this recipe) Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 5

Bake meatballs in oven at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove the baking trays and turn the meatballs with tongs. Put the meatball trays back in the oven.

Step 6

Lower the oven temperature to 350 Degrees F . Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Directions for Sauce

Step 1

Place a medium sized saucepan on the stovetop. Do not turn on the element yet.

Step 2

Add brown sugar to the saucepan

Step 3

Add white vinegar, soy Sauce, water and mix

Step 4

Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat

Step 5

Sprinkle cornstarch over the sauce. Use a whisk to stir vigorously to prevent lumps

Step 6

Stir the sauce often to prevent the sugar from burning. Once the sauce starts to boil, it will froth and change to a deep, dark, brown colour.

Step 7

Remove the saucepan from the heated element

Add your cooked meatballs to a large casserole dish, pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve. This is wonderful over rice.

*You can also make this recipe ahead and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Then warm and serve the next day.