Wausau Pilot & Review

This week’s featured recipe is an entire meal, with juicy, delicious meatballs paired with a side of freshly roasted vegetables. The recipe allows for roasting the veggies in the oven, but we prefer to brush them with olive oil and grill them instead. Either way, this one’s a winner.

Chimichurri Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

  • For the Meatballs:
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1/2 lb ground pork
    • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • For the Chimichurri Sauce:
    • 1 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed
    • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • For the Roasted Vegetables:
    • 1 bell pepper, sliced
    • 1 zucchini, sliced
    • 1 onion, sliced
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat Oven & Prepare Vegetables:
    • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
    • Toss the sliced vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and slightly charred.
  2. Mix Meatball Ingredients:
    • In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix until just combined—do not overmix.
  3. Form & Bake Meatballs:
    • Form the mixture into 1.5-inch balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
  4. Make the Chimichurri Sauce:
    • While the meatballs are baking, combine parsley, cilantro, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and cumin in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  5. Assemble & Serve:
    • Once the meatballs are done, toss them gently in the chimichurri sauce until well coated.
    • Serve the chimichurri meatballs over the roasted vegetables for a hearty and flavorful meal.

Have a recipe you’d like us to feature? Email [email protected]. Submissions gladly accepted.