pizza meatballs in red gravy

prep time: 10 minutes • cook time: 40 minutes • yield: 36 meatballs (4 per serving)

I love to watch cooking shows with my little boys on rainy days. On one of the shows they talked about “red gravy.” What in the world is red gravy? Well, in Philly, that’s what they call pizza sauce. My boys and I now call my Pizza Meatballs in Red Sauce, Pizza Meatballs in Red Gravy!

1 tablespoon coconut oil

¼ cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

¼ cup diced red bell peppers

2 pounds ground pork

1 cup finely chopped black olives (optional)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

for serving:

2 cups store-bought pizza sauce (aka “red gravy”), warmed (see note)

1 recipe Italian Marinated Mushrooms ( see here ) (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with the salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Remove to a bowl to cool.

3. Put the ground pork, olives (if using), egg, herbs, and spices in a mixing bowl. When the onion mixture is no longer hot to the touch, add it to the bowl with the meat and work everything together with your hands.

4. Shape the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls (about the size of golf balls) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

5. Remove the meatballs from the oven and place on serving plates. Cover with warm red gravy and serve with marinated mushrooms, if desired.

6. Store extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the meatballs and sauce in a skillet and warm over medium heat.

note: When purchasing pizza sauce, check the ingredients list for added sugars and soybean or canola oil.