I asked my son what he thought we should have for dinner, and he said ‘meatballs!’. He likes them with marinara sauce, but my daughter likes them plain.

I find that the addition of mayonnaise and ketchup keeps the meatballs moist. You don’t discern the mayo and ketchup flavor in the finished meatballs, just that there is flavor in the meatballs.

I used seasoned breadcrumbs for convenience, but you could use plain breadcrumbs and season them yourself.

These meatballs freeze beautifully. After they bake, cool and place in freezer-safe container or bag and freeze. You can reheat them right in your favorite sauce.

This made about 30 small meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion
1 egg
1 T mayo
1 T ketchup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1-2 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper to taste

24 ounces marinara sauce (homemade or jarred sauce of your choice)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Crumble ground beef into a bowl.

Add onion, egg, mayonnaise, ketchup, bread crumbs, milk, and salt and pepper. Knead with your hands. Add a bit more milk if you feel that the mixture is too stiff.

Shape into meatballs.

Bake 30 minutes, or till no longer pink inside.

Place meatballs and sauce in a pot.

Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, until sauce is completely heated through.

*Note – I use this same mix for meatloaf. I like to use mustard instead of the mayonnaise for meatloaf and thin out with more milk.