Homemade Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy is a classic dish that starts with lean ground beef. We’re browning the meatballs in hot oil then baking them to perfection in the luscious mushroom gravy for maximum flavor.
This is my Granny’s recipe for meatballs and it is so good!
Fun fact – this is the first dish I ever cooked for a guy that I liked a million years ago.
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Key to Success #1 – Use Lean Ground Beef
It’s really easy to mix up these yummy beef meatballs.
It’s important to start with high-quality lean ground beef to reduce the amount of grease in your meatballs.
I like to use 93% lean ground beef in these meatballs to keep the amount of grease low.
Start by grabbing a big mixing bowl and adding 4 slices of sandwich bread and 1 cup of milk.
I use four slices of white bread in these meatballs, but you can use any type of bread that you have on hand that is not super crusty.
Pour the milk all over the bread then let it sit until the milk is absorbed into the bread, about 10 minutes.
While you’re waiting for the milk to absorb, finely chop the onions and peppers.
It’s important that you finely chop the vegetables so that they can easily be combined into the meatballs.
You do not want to end up with large chunks of onion or peppers in your meatballs.
Add in the onions, peppers, lean ground beef, eggs, salt and pepper then mix all the ingredients well.
I like to get my clean hands in there to mix up the meatballs, but you can use a wooden spoon or a spatula if you prefer.
Keep mixing until you can no longer see bits of bread in the meatballs.
Key to Success #2 – Use a Cookie Scoop to Form the Meatballs
One of my best tricks to making meatballs is using a cookie scoop to form the meatballs.
The cookie scoop helps to portion out meatballs that are evenly sized.
Evenly sized meatballs is key to successful meatball-making!
Meatballs of the same size will cook in about the same amount of time.
This will ensure that all the meatballs are cooked perfectly and to the correct temperature.
I use a medium-sized cookie scoop to form the meatballs in this recipe.
The cookie scoop holds about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough – or meat in this case.
Scoop the meatball mixture with the cookie scoop then use your hands to form it into a tight ball.
Find out how to make instant mashed potatoes taste homemade.
Key to Success #3 – Brown Meatballs Before Baking
Before we bake these yummy little meatballs, we’re going to brown them in hot oil so that they’ll keep their shape.
We’re NOT fully cooking the meatballs in the oil, only browning the outsides.
Grab a medium-sized skillet then pour in enough oil until it measures about 1 inch deep.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is hot then start adding in your meatballs.
Carefully monitor the temperature of your oil so that it doesn’t get too hot.
You can tell that the oil is too hot if the meatballs start getting too brown. Reduce the heat if needed.
Brown the meatballs on one side then use two forks to turn the meatballs over.
It’ll take about 2 minutes per side to brown the meatballs.
When the meatballs are browned on all sides, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Continue browning the meatballs in batches until they are all browned.
As the meatballs start to drain and cool, move them to a greased baking dish.
I baked my meatballs in a baking dish that was a little smaller than 9×13-inches.
However, I suggest a 9×13-inch baking dish for this recipe to give your meatballs a little extra room.
Key to Success #4 – Pour Over the Mushroom Gravy
The mushroom gravy for these meatballs is super simple.
It’s made of one can of golden mushroom soup and a can of water.
I’m not talking about cream of mushroom soup.
What you’re looking for is called Golden Mushroom Soup and is found in the soup aisle of your local grocery store.
You can also find Golden Mushroom Soup on Amazon if you’re not able to find it at your local store.
I don’t often have a problem finding it in my grocery store though.
In a medium bowl, add in the can of golden mushroom soup and one can of water.
When I say to add a can of water, I mean to use the soup can to measure and fill it with water then pour it into the bowl.
You can also use add in 1 cup of water. It’s not exactly the same as 1 can, but it is definitely close enough.
Stir the soup and water together well then pour it over the meatballs in the baking dish.
Finally, cover the baking dish with foil before putting it in the oven.
You will want to bake these meatballs covered so that they don’t dry out in the oven.
If you’re short on time, try the shortcut version of this meatball recipe that uses frozen meatballs. Crock Pot friendly too!
Save this Homemade Meatballs Recipe to your favorite Main Dishes board or your Meatballs board.
Homemade Meatballs in Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place 4 slices of bread in a large bowl then pour 1 cup of milk over the bread. Rest 5 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Finely dice the bell pepper and onion.
- Add bell pepper, onion, beef, eggs, salt, and pepper to the bread. Stir mixture together until fully combined.
- In a medium skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil over medium-high heat.
- Portion out about 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture and roll into a meatball. Brown meatball in hot oil, turning once to brown the other side.
- Drain browned meatballs well on a piece of paper towel then place them into a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 can of golden mushroom soup with 1 can of water and pour over the meatballs.
- Cover casserole dish with foil then bake for 45 minutes.
Equipment
Nutrition
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