meatballs & brown gravy noodles

If you haven't noticed based on the recipes I've been posting - my tot loves him some ground beef.  In fact he loves meatloaf specifically and since I can't eat that on the daily I've been experimenting with different variations of meatballs and meatloaves so that I don't get sick of eating it.

One day as we were walking down the soup aisle I was re-introduced to the amazing Knorr Onion Soup mix.  I forgot how amazing this stuff is (now good for you might be another question), but in terms of comparison - this stuff is pretty much like the Swiss Army Knives of food.  You can use it for soup, dip, roasted meats, meatloaf and burgers.  Seriously there isn't much that this seasoning can't do.  Since a form of ground beef was going to be for dinner I decided to grab the seasoning and use it as a base for my meatballs.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 package of Knorr Onion Soup mix 
• 1 cup of bread crumbs (I personally LOVE the Schar brand for a gluten-free option)
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of Worcester sauce
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 egg (optional - I opted to do it without but it helps to bind the meat together a bit more)
• 1 package of noodles (I would recommend egg noodles)
• 1 package or jar of any brown gravy
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp of olive oil

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees
• In a small pan heat the olive oil.  When hot, add the chopped onions, carrots and garlic.  Saute until the onions are slightly translucent.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl add sauteed vegetables, ground beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, worcester sauce, soup mix and egg if you're adding it in.  Combine all ingredients until evenly distributed. (You can opt out of sauteeing the vegetables if you're short on time, but sometimes the onions don't get cooked all the wear through and offers a bit more of texture)
• On a large baking sheet spray pan with non-stick spray.
• Scoop about a tablespoon of meat and form into meatballs.  Lay them on the baking pan leaving about 1/2 an inch of space in between.
• Place in oven and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.
• While meatballs are in the oven cook noodles according to package and same with brown gravy.
• Top a few meatballs over noodles and smother in brown gravy
• Enjoy!

These meatballs would also be great in sandwiches or used as part of a swedish meatball meal.  They're super versatile and easy to make.  If you don't have any of that Knorr seasoning in your pantry - seriously go buy some (and no, I'm not getting paid or anything free out of saying that).  It's just a great staple to have on hand for days where you just need something easy.