Homemade Meatballs

I made meatballs for dinner yesterday. From scratch. My hubby hates the packaged kind, and to be honest, I'm not too fond of them myself. I make these about once a month and my family devours them. I was asked for the recipe, so here it goes:

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teasoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 heaping tablespoons sofrito, made from garlic, green peppers, onion and cilantro
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine all ingredients, but don't overmix. Shape meat mixture into 25-30 meatballs and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast for about 20 minutes. Add to your favorite sauce.

In case you're wondering, I make my own marinara sauce also. Once again, not very fond of the jar stuff. It's so easy to make your own sauce, once you do you never go back:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed red pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Go ahead and try these recipes if you like. Then let me know what you think!