Mushroom and Beef Meatballs

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the bread in a bowl, toss with the milk (add a little more milk if 1/4 cup isn’t enough to moisten all the bread) and let soak for 20 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile toss the carrots with 2 teaspoons olive oil on a parchment-covered sheet pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until tender and lightly browned (you can also make the mushroom base at this time).

Step 3

Squeeze the milk out of the bread and crumble the bread into a large bowl. Add the beef, mushrooms, carrots, onion, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix together well.

Step 4

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Working in batches, pulse the meat and vegetable mixture in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until pasty. Return to the bowl. Fill a small bowl with water for dipping your hands, then with wet hands form 1-ounce balls, which will be about the size of a golf ball, and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. You will need to keep wetting your hands.

Step 5

Bake 40 minutes, or until the meatballs are nicely browned. Remove from the oven and if desired, simmer for up to an hour in tomato sauce. I like to serve these with spaghetti.