These meatballs are really simple to make, using only five basic ingredients. They were also very quick to make. If you are using a really decent pork sausage you don't need a lot of extra ingredients! These are rich and delicious. You can make a simple gravy to serve with them if you wish, or you can add them to a marinara sauce to make spaghetti and meatballs.
I was very pleased with how they turned out. I served them with a simple homemade gravy and some mashed potatoes, for a different version of bangers and mash. I had enough meatballs that, once they were cooked, I had some leftover to freeze for use in sauce or whatever on another day! Ready cooked meatballs in the freezer? How can that ever be a bad thing!
These meatballs are something which my children always enjoyed, adults too. An old, old recipe for meatballs that are made with raw rice in them. They are baked in a lush and flavorful sauce. As they bake the rice swells and sticks out of the balls resembling porcupine quills, hence the name.
These delicious meatballs are more like tiny meat patties, in that they are shaped into a ball and then slightly flattened before browning in a bit of butter. The balls themselves are nicely flavored with onion and a few other bits.
The browned meatballs are then simmered in the oven in a creamy gravy made using a tin of mushroom soup. (Don't judge.) 30 minutes later they are ready to serve.
These go wonderfully with rice or mashed potatoes. This recipe is a real family favorite. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have made these delicious meat balls. I'd be rich!
These meatballs are a delicious twist on Alfredo in the form of some tasty meatballs made with ground chicken and served in a lush and rich Alfredo sauce. I had never made chicken meatballs before but was very impressed with these!
Ground chicken is a much cheaper alternative to ground beef and it works very well in this recipe. They come out moist and tender and together with the sauce, this is to die for. It makes for a fabulous dinner served with some hot buttered pasta and a salad on the side!
BONUS RECIPE
I also can't help sharing this delicious recipe for Italian Square Meatballs. It is such a versatile and delicious recipe.
This is a simple recipe for square shaped meatballs. A meatball mixture made from lean ground beef, Italian sausage and a few other things is pressed into a Sheet Pan and marked into squares prior to baking to golden brown perfection. Ready to cut apart and use in a multitude of ways. Moist, delicious and filled with flavor. The recipe makes 36 meatballs, ready to freeze for future use or as needed.
Also included are extra recipes for Meatball Sandwiches, Meatballs Primavera, and Creamy Meatballs and Potatoes. Several tasty ways to use these delicious square meatballs that your family is sure to enjoy!
And there you have it, five tasty meatball recipes that are guaranteed to please anyone and everyone! I hope you will be inspired to want to try a few of them for yourself!
FOR MAKING GREAT MEATBALLS
- Pick the right kind of meat to use when making meatballs. Meats containing more fat like ground beef, lamb or pork will yield a tender meatball, whilst using lean meat such as turkey or chicken can become tough or dry if overcooked. Do take care not to overcook them. A blend of several kinds of meats also makes for tender deliciousness!
- Use a chilled bowl and keep your ingredients as cold as possible while you are mixing them together. If you are adding pre-cooked ingredients like garlic or onions, make sure they are cooled down to at least room temperature prior to adding them.
- Use binders like eggs and breadcrumbs to help keep your meatballs moist and from drying out. All meat has a tendency to shrink when it is cooked and things like eggs and breadcrumbs help to prevent them from shrinking too much and creating a dry or tough meatball.
- All meatballs can be mixed and shaped ahead of time, ready to cook when you need to cook them. Simply mix them up and roll into balls, placing them onto a baking sheet. Cover with cling film and refrigerate them until you are ready to cook them.
- If you are unsure about how they taste, you can pinch a tiny bit off and fry it in a skillet until cooked through to taste. Then you can feel free to adjust any seasonings, etc. as required.
- Use a gentle hand when shaping. Work as lightly as possible. Compacting the mixture too firmly will result in a tougher, drier meatball. I usually wet my hands with cold water or oil to make things easier when shaping them. You can also use a cookie scoop for uniform sized balls. Just spray it with a bit of non-stick cooking spray first, and repeat as needed.
- Bake your meatballs rather than fry them if possible. Just pop them onto a lined baking sheet and pop them into a preheated oven. (375*F/190*C) About 15 to 20 minutes and you will have perfect meatballs ready to add to your sauce. No fuss, no muss, no splatters.
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.jpg "Meals of the Week, August 10th to 16th, 2025")
Hello everyone and welcome to my Sunday "Meals of the Week" post. Every Sunday I like to share with you, my dear readers, all of the delicious things that I have enjoyed over the past seven days for my main meals. That's a whole lot of tasty going on. I also include links to the recipes and menu suggestions. If I was really on the ball, I would include a shopping list but trust me when I tell you I am not really on the ball!
This was a busy week of highs and lows. I had my Birthday to celebrate and then wildfires started not too far from where I live so it has been an exciting week all round in one way or another.
These are only my main meals, which I tend to eat in the early afternoon. It does not include my breakfast meals or my light suppers. I eat light later in the day as I don't want to have anything heavy laying on my stomach when I go to bed.
My breakfast will usually be a protein shake, or sometimes oatmeal, perhaps granola, yogurt and fruit, or toast. On occasions, if I have it, I will enjoy leftover pizza. Leftover pizza for breakfast is the best!
I have my main meal around 1 pm. unless I am eating at my sister's. On that day I will eat later in the day, in deference to them. (Like I said I don't like going to bed with anything heavy on my stomach and I am an early-to-bedder!)
Usually later in the afternoon, early evening I will have something light, like a salad, or a sandwich, maybe some soup. Sometimes a bowl of cereal. Fruit. Anything that isn't too heavy. I just feel better. A light supper keeps me from snacking in the evening and helps me to sleep better.
I also try to keep my food within the limitations of my budget, and I like to vary my meals as much as possible. I rarely eat the same thing twice in a month. I love to cook, and I love to eat, and I want my meals to be interesting and varied. I do try to keep them fairly healthy for the most part as well, with a balance of carbs, protein, vegetables and fruit.
I try not to eat frozen dinners. They are always hugely disappointing and never meet the promise that is shown on the cover of the box. I will eat the odd can of soup with a sandwich and I am not opposed to using tinned soup to make other things. I usually only eat dessert when I am out, or if I have baked a cake or some cookies, I will have one as a treat mid-afternoon.
And that's it in a nutshell! This is how I eat. So, without twaddling on any further here are the meals that I enjoyed for my main meals over the past seven days! I hope you will be inspired to want to cook some of them for yourself!
SUNDAY, August 10th - Sunday Dinner at my sister's place
Most Sundays I have dinner at my sister's. This week she had made a type of Chicken Dish which was very delicious with sundried tomatoes, basil, etc. in it. She served this with boiled potatoes and carrots.
In it's place I am sharing my recipe for Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Basil Cream. It is delicious and very similar to what she made. Got pasta, sun dried tomatoes, chicken breasts, cream and basil??? Then you have this! I served it with some cooked spaghetti noodles when I made it. It was lovely.
MONDAY, August 11th - Roasted Chicken Salad with a Buttermilk Tarragon Dressing.
This was a lovely light and delicious meal. Skin on boneless chicken breasts are browned on top of the stove and then briefly roasted to juicy perfection. Ready to slice on the diagonal and serve with a mixed salad with a Buttermilk and Tarragon Dressing.
This is light and delicious and makes for a great supper in the summer months, or a lunch. You can always add a baked jacket potato for anyone who demands a heartier meal!
TUESDAY, August 12th - Chicken Scampi with Garlic & Parmesan Rice
I know, chicken again, but it's delicious and it's affordable. This time it was in the way of chicken tender filets. These are seasoned with some garlic, salt, and pepper and then flash fried in a small amount of oil until golden brown. Taken off the heat, rice is added to the pan along with white wine, chicken stock, Parmesan Cheese and more garlic. Cooked until tender the chicken is nestled back into the pilaf and gently reheated with a bit more Parmesan dusted over top.
This makes a quick, easy and delicious midweek supper. It is basically an all-in-one dish. All you need to complete the meal is a cooked vegetable or salad on the side. Delicious!
WEDNESDAY, August 13th - Easy Asian Noodle Bowl with Chicken and Vegetables
It was my Birthday (#70) on Wednesday, and I had been wanting to try to make a noodle bowl for myself for ages. They always look so good when other people make them. This was really delicious, and I ended up with a double yolk egg in mine. It was also a great way to use up any leftover chicken tenders from the day before.
Ramen Noodles on the base, with the chicken, fried mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, the boiled egg, in a rich chicken broth containing spring onion. More spring onions were sprinkled over top along with some crispy onion.
I know, chicken four days in a row. What can I say? It is a bit unusual, but I do like chicken. I made up for it the rest of the week.
THURSDAY, August 14th - Burger Rarebits with air fryer chips and veggies
I had taken my father out shopping in the afternoon and spent the morning putting together my 72 hour kit in case of a fire evacuation. I just made a simple supper of Burger Rarebits. You can make your own burgers for this or use a good quality ready-made burger. The burgers are pan grilled to perfection and then topped with a cheese, bacon, and spring onion mixture before popping under the grill to heat the cheese mixture through and melt it a bit.
It is a knife and fork meal. You could have it on a bun if you wanted to, but I like them just as is. I served with some oven chips done in the air fryer and corn on the side. It was a simple and yet delicious meal.
FRIDAY, August 15th - Tuna Loaf with Mustard Cream
A bit of fish for Friday with a Tuna Loaf. This is very simple to make and is delicious. I know I say that about everything I cook, but it's true. It was delicious, and is one of my old favorites. I sometimes cook this Tuna Loaf as Muffins in a muffin tin. That way I can freeze the individual portions to take out and enjoy on another day. The mustard cream that goes with it is also incredibly tasty and adds just the right touch!
I enjoyed with frozen peas and a pouch of pre-cooked rice. The Butter & Garlic one. I like that one in particular and it went well with the fish.
SATURDAY, August 16th - Crispy Tortilla Eggs
This is one of my absolute favorite meals. Crispy Tortilla Eggs. You have a crispy golden toasty tortilla on the bottom, topped with cheese, a perfectly fried egg, and more cheese to finish it off. I like to garnish it with some sriracha sauce, green tabasco and some chopped green onion. I could eat this any day of the week and be completely happy and satisfied.
A leafy salad was the perfect side with this simple, yet delicious meal!
And there you have it, my meals of the week for this the second week of August 2025. In a week that was filled with highs (birthday) and lows (fires) I think I did very well. I kept things within budget and managed to have a fairly good variety, despite all of the chicken! What do you think?
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Back in the 90's my husband and I used to enjoy travelling to the States on daytrips to go shopping. We enjoyed going down there to buy groceries as they were a lot cheaper than they were at home. With five growing children, every penny mattered.
We would always treat ourselves to a nice dinner at one of the local diner's while we were there. It was always a real treat. Diner food is always the best. Simple food but done really well. At least that was always my experience. Mom and Pop kind of food.
With varied menus and daily specials, usually handwritten on blackboards or paper place mats, placed strategically around the room for perfect viewing. You could always tell a good diner because it would be full and very busy. Another good sign was a line of transport trucks in the parking lot. Truck Drivers always know the best places to eat.
Another thing we enjoyed about then was that they were usually not overly expensive places to eat. The food was not really fancy, but it was always really good. It has been many years now since I have been to eat in a diner.
Meatloaf has always been a big diner specialty. Hearty, delicious and filling. This meatloaf recipe I am sharing with you today Is all that and more. I have been making it this way for years. I can't remember where I got the original recipe from, but it is very like the meatloaf you would be served in a diner style of restaurant. (I suspect I adapted it from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook but can't be sure.)
Meals like this are very homey and comforting as well as being delicious. They used to be considered thrifty, but with today's economy and the price of beef that is not true any longer, although, to be sure, ground beef IS a more economical way to enjoy beef!
This is a small batch recipe making a small (8 by 4-inch) loaf, which is ideal for two people. It cuts into four thick slices. You can enjoy it on the day and then enjoy a delicious Meatloaf Sandwich the day after!
- 1 cup (60g) of freshly made breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 pounds extra lean ground beef (I use ground steak)
- 2 TBS hot pickled pepper strips (optional)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80ml whole milk
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (65g) of tomato ketchup
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 TBS liquid from the hot peppers jar
- Place the onion, pickled peppers, egg, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and milk into a blender. Blitz until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large shallow roasting tin. Line a small loaf tin with plastic cling film.
- Place the meat, breadcrumbs and cheese into a large bowl. Mix lightly together.
- Pour the mixture from the blender over top. Mix this into the meat and breadcrumbs lightly with your hands, until well combined.
- Pack lightly into the lined loaf tin, smoothing over the top.
- Tip the meat mixture out of the tin and into the middle of the roasting tin, removing the loaf tin and discarding plastic cling film.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until well mixed. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush this mixture overall.
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
- Use the right cut of meat. I like to use ground steak or ground sirloin. The leaner your meat mixture the less shrinkage you will get. Nobody enjoys a really greasy meatloaf.
- Milk, onion and breadcrumbs help to give your loaf substance, and to keep it moist. Not only do the onions bring flavor, but the addition of milk and breadcrumbs allows for a much better texture, helping to stabilize the meat mixture as well as distributing the moisture evenly amongst the meat.
- Salt and pepper is important but other flavors also add to the enjoyment of this old familiar dish. Mustard, ketchup, hot peppers, Worcestershire sauce and cheese all add flavor.
- Use a light touch when mixing your meatloaf together. Too much mixing and compacting will give your loaf a mushy, pasty texture and can also toughen it.
- A glaze, whilst not necessary, always gives a nice look and finish to the loaf. Nobody will be reaching for the ketchup bottle if you do this right.
- Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This allows for any juices to be reabsorbed into the loaf.
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Diner Style Meatloaf
Baked in a free form style, this lovely meatloaf has a wonderful crust and flavor. If I am feeling particularly indulgent, I will lay strips of steaky bacon across the top, which is very nice, but it's delicious without it as well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (60g) of freshly made breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 pounds extra lean ground beef (I use ground steak)
- 2 TBS hot pickled pepper strips (optional)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80ml whole milk
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (65g) of tomato ketchup
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 TBS liquid from the hot peppers jar
Instructions
- Place the onion, pickled peppers, egg, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and milk into a blender. Blitz until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large shallow roasting tin. Line a small loaf tin with plastic cling film.
- Place the meat, breadcrumbs and cheese into a large bowl. Mix lightly together.
- Pour the mixture from the blender over top. Mix this into the meat and breadcrumbs lightly with your hands, until well combined.
- Pack lightly into the lined loaf tin, smoothing over the top.
- Tip the meat mixture into the middle of the roasting tin, removing the loaf tin and discarding plastic cling film.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until well mixed. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush this mixture overall.
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) ground beef (we use local grass-fed)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 large egg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (65g) Bisquick baking mix (see notes for a link to make your own)
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
Cindy's Meatloaf
This is the recipe that my sister uses to make her meatloaf. It always turns out delicious and everyone loves it. She doesn't add a glaze, that's my addition, and it's completely optional.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) ground beef (we use local grass-fed)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 large egg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (65g) Bisquick baking mix (see notes for a link to make your own)
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small loaf tin with plastic wrap and spray a shallow casserole dish that is large enough to hold the meatloaf with baking spray. Alternately butter it.
- Crumble the beef into a bowl. Add the onion, egg, salt, pepper, tomato ketchup and Bisquick baking mix. Mix lightly together without over-mixing, but do make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf pan and press it down lightly smoothing over the top. Tip it out into the baking dish. Discard the plastic wrap.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While it is baking whisk the glaze ingredients together until well combined.
- Spoon the glaze over top and brush it over with a pastry brush. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. (If not doing the glaze leave to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.)
- Cut into thick slices to serve.
Notes
I have an excellent recipe on making your own baking mix which you can find here. It is excellent. It makes a fair bit, but it can be frozen, and you can use it to make pancakes, biscuits, waffles, etc. I also have quite a few recipes on here that use it. Here are just a few:
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