This was my favorite photo…the black skillet has gone through 5 generations of serving good stuff! The finished dish and recipe are shown on the next page.

Do you have a “stand by” ingredient?  Plain old ground beef is my stand by ingredient of choice.

It’s less expensive than prime cuts of beef and is so versatile, I don’t feel like I’m serving the same thing each week. This week, I prepared my best meatballs with mushroom gravy and noodles.  My meatballs are comprised of 85/15 ground beef, bread, Parmesan, onion, and a little bit of half & half.  The gravy is made from the drippings, onion, mushrooms, stock, and garlic.  All of this, poured over a bed of buttered, noodles with my BFF…Black Truffle Salt.

It’s quick and easy enough to prepare during a busy work week and tasty enough to serve on Sunday!

Mix ground beef, onion, Parmesan, bread crumbs, half & half, and seasonings…shape into meatballs

Brown on all sides, using garlic infused olive oil…Can you imagine the aroma?

Saute onion and mushrooms in the meatball pan drippings

Make gravy by adding cornstarch, beef bullion pkt, water, half & half, and seasonings…Return meatballs to skillet and simmer.

Serve over buttered noodles…Tasty!Tasty!

Best Meatballs & Gravy
Serves 6

Meatball Mixture
1 1/2 pounds 85/15 ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 medium onion, grated…reserve remaining half to slice for gravy
1/4 cup half & half
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed

Gravy Ingredients
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
1 packet, no sodium beef bullion…I used Herb Ox
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup half & half
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

In a large bowl combine beef, bread crumbs, cheese, grated onion, half & half, pepper, salt, and onion powder.  Mix well and shape into balls…about 12.  In a heavy skillet on medium-high, heat olive oil and garlic cloves. Add meatballs to the skillet, not touching each other.  Carefully turn meatballs to brown on all sides…about 2 minutes per turn.  Transfer meatballs to a plate and discard cooked garlic.

Keep heat on skillet and add butter, sliced onion and mushrooms.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and mushrooms have browned and are softened.  Add salt, pepper, and corn starch.  Stir until there are no visible signs of corn starch.  Add bullion and stir to further coat the mushroom mixture.  Immediately stir in water.  Allow mixture to come to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Mixture will start to thicken. Stir in half & half and garlic.  Add meatballs back to skillet.  Cover and allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes.  Serve over noodles

Easy Buttered Noodles

1/2 pkg egg noodles(3 cups cooked)
2 tablespoons, unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon black truffle salt(optional)

Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Stir butter into hot noodles.  Sprinkle with black truffle salt.