Like the day I started thinking about taste tests, my aversion to the go-to brand of meatballs that my family had been eating for years and how I could find something better.
Frozen meatball taste test? Yesssss.
So I suggested to my daughter that we try every meatball in the grocery store and she instantly said yes. I love her adventurous spirit. After a little prep work, we realized we’d need to narrow it down some — or risk complete meatball annihilation. So we honed the plan.
Beef Italian-style meatballs (though blends were fine).
And we’d cook them all in the same way: In the microwave.
We ended up with seven frozen Italian-style meatball varieties. One came in sauce. For the rest, we ate them with a favorite tomato sauce on the side. Those we tasted with and without sauce.
Totally scientific, right?
Seriously though, as we were tasting we took note of certain things like size, texture, seasoning, how well the meatball paired with sauce, if it needed sauce and flavor.
And though it was unplanned, with all these meatballs in the freezer, we also did a little extra tasting as we packed them in thermos or reheated them later.
These smaller meatballs were juicy with good flavor. Although they paired well with sauce, they didn’t need it. If you do sauce then, make sure it’s a good sauce — they deserve it.
Rosina meatballs are great for spaghetti and meatballs, subs or any other use for meatballs you can dream of.
Pineland Farms Italian-Style Beef Meatballs
Before we scoured the grocery store for meatballs, I’d never noticed this Maine brand in the freezer. But now that we’re familiar with it, we may never go back. Also a smaller meatball, Pineland Farms meatballs are light and airy. We loved them most with sauce.
For these, we recommend them eating them alone or with pasta. But if you are hoping for a good meatball sub, use a different variety — the delightful lightness won’t stand up to bread like you’d need it to.
Best Frozen Meatballs to Reheat
One of the more interesting things we discovered was that some meatballs were better reheated.
Rao’s Meatballs and Sauce
These larger sized meatballs came in sauce and were fine. We noted on the first taste test that they would be ideal in a meatball sub. But when it came to reheating, they had the best flavor, texture and consistency.
Best Frozen Meatballs to Pack in Thermoses
Another unexpected outcome of our taste test was having so many meatballs to pack for lunches. While we loved Rosina meatballs when they were just cooked, we didn’t love them when they sat in a thermos for a few hours. Likewise, some of the stronger flavored meatballs — Cooked Perfect and the Hannaford store brand, for instance — were tastier after sitting for a bit. But one brand shined through as a clear favorite.
Pineland Farms Italian-Style Beef Meatballs
This frozen Italian-style meatball variety wasn’t just good freshly made. They were also delicious after being packed in a thermos. In fact, they were so good that Paige made note of it later to tell me, thinking they hadn’t been a favorite in the first round (they had).
We like these packed with sauce and perhaps a bit of parmesan. Plus, the smaller size made eating them on the go a little easier — no cutting needed!
Do you have a favorite frozen Italian-style meatball?
For our taste test, we relied on what was available at our local grocery store. But there are more meatballs out there than this! Do you have a favorite? Perhaps a variety we didn’t try? Tell us in the comments below!
Homestyle meatballs are often larger, served with red sauce and pasta, while Italian-style meatballs can be smaller and are more versatile in their serving options.
One option is to simmer them in a flavorful sauce such as marinara or barbecue sauce. You can also spice them up by adding herbs, spices, or grated cheese to the meatball mixture before cooking. Another alternative is to brown them in a skillet with some garlic or onions for extra savory goodness.
When it comes to taste, value, and convenience, you would be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the Kirkland brand cooked Italian Style Beef Meatballs. They are moist, even if you use the microwave to defrost them (which our family often did in a pinch).
To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked. The pink color can be due to a reaction between the oven heat and myoglobin, which causes a red or pink color.
These easy-to-make meatballs are made with ground beef and pork, strewn with fresh parsley, garlic and grated cheese. But the “secret” to good meatballs comes down to their juicy, delectable texture. And that is the result of including soft, milk-soaked breadcrumbs.
Most frozen meatballs you buy in the store are already cooked. But even if you made your own and froze them without cooking them, they can still be gently cooked in a pot of sauce. However, they may fall apart, so cooking them in one layer is preferred, and the texture might be a bit soft.
Do I Need To Defrost Meatballs Before I Cook With Them? Not usually. Frozen meatballs can be cooked directly from the freezer in most cases. If you are using a sauce that cannot handle longer cooking times, cook the meatballs first and add the sauce.
Meatballs make great freezer meals. They can be frozen either cooked or uncooked and keep well for up to 2 months. For super convenient and time saving meals, simply make a double batch of meatballs and freeze the extra!
We suggest cooking the meatballs in the sauce directly from frozen as they can go a little squishy if you thaw them before cooking. The meatballs will take slightly longer to cook (approximately 25 minutes) and make sure that they have cooked through completely before serving them.
Sticky hands can result in an overworked farcemeat. Too much time spent forming the balls can also make them tough, and you're more likely to overwork them if you can't get them off your hands.
First of all, these pork and beef meatballs are giant. Oftentimes, giant meatballs can mean dense meatballs — especially when you're talking about frozen ones. But these were oh-so soft, juicy, and just as good as homemade (says my husband, who means no offense toward his Italian mother!).
Description. Cooked Perfect Homestyle Meatballs are seasoned with a custom blend of herbs and spices, including garlic and onion. These homestyle meatballs offer a mild and delicious flavor that pairs well with any recipe. They're perfect for pizza or appetizers with your favorite dipping sauce.
"Al forno" simply means "baked in an oven," and it's the most customary way you'll find meatballs and pasta in the same dish together in Italy. While spaghetti and meatballs may not be so common, a casserole-style dish of pasta and meatballs certainly is - think baked ziti!
Italian meatballs are flavored with garlic and parmesan cheese, Swedish with onion and nutmeg. The first gets tomato sauce, the latter beef gravy. Just choose the one you prefer, they're both tasty.
With Swedish meatballs, the meatballs are usually made beef or pork (or both!) and smothered in a rich and creamy gravy. Sweden made this dish famous, but it was actually adapted from a recipe brought back from Turkey in the early 18th century by King Charles XII of Sweden.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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