Meatballs

Here's another goodie from the Barefoot Contessa...the meatballs in this soup are seriously the best I have ever had. They require a good amount of ingredients, but I've made my share of meatballs and, trust me, these are totally worth it! The only thing I changed was using mild Italian sausage in the place of chicken sausage, simply because I couldn't find any non-pre-cooked chicken sausage at my local grocery store.

Ingredients

3/4 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb. Italian sausage, removed from casings

2/3 cup fresh white bread, crusts removed

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. milk

1 egg

Salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Crumble white bread in a food processor until the size of bread crumbs.

3. Add garlic and parsley to the food processor and chop until just incorporated.

4. Remove the Italian sausages from their casings. As long as they're thawed, they will slide out no problem.

5. Prepare the meatballs. Place the ground chicken, Italian sausage, bread crumb mixture, pecorino and parmesan cheeses, milk, egg, salt and pepper  in a large bowl.

4. Combine gently with a fork or clean hands. Do not over mix or the meatballs will turn out tough.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop the mixture and roll into balls. Place one inch apart on the baking sheet.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

*Note: I would recommend making extra and freezing them. They are so good, and you can throw them into a pasta dish or onto a meatball sandwich any time...or even serve them as little appetizers. Yum!