This recipe makes use of our very versatile Mushroom Meat (page 230). This is the stuff we use in place of ground beef in any recipe in order to vegetarianize it, and it’s more natural than commercially available ground beef substitutes. These meatballs made with Mushroom Meat are a hit over and over again in our house. We usually serve them on top of spaghetti, but they also make a great little vegetarian appetizer for a party, or you can stuff them inside of a hoagie for a vegetarian meatball sub sandwich.
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups Mushroom Meat (page 230)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup half and half
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like it spicy)
½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil (for drizzling)
½ cup of Vegetable-Packed Tomato Sauce (page 229) (for basting)
In a large bowl combine the cheese, bread crumbs, Mushroom Meat, eggs, tomato paste, half and half, red pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley. Allow the mixture to stand for 20 minutes so that the bread crumbs soak up the flavor of the other ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Using a small spring-loaded ice-cream scoop (about 1 tablespoon), scoop a portion of the mixture onto a parchment-lined, 17 × 12-inch rimmed baking sheet. Portion them fairly close together as this makes a whole bunch of little meatballs. Repeat until all the mixture has been used. Drizzle the meatballs with olive oil. Place the pan in the oven. After 10 minutes take the pan out and brush the tops of the meatballs with tomato sauce. Return the pan to the oven to finish cooking the meatballs for another 10 minutes.
Makes about 36 small meatballs.
NOTE: Freeze unused meatballs on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen solid, pack them into a food storage container. They will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.