Smothered Meatballs and Gravy

Did someone say comfort food?  I think this dish is the ultimate in comfort food. Beefy and delicious, these meatballs are smothered in a rich thick savory gravy and served over rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes.  Wow! What a great dinner! 

One of my Mom’s favorite dishes to serve her family was meatballs.  She would just make up the recipe as she went along so it was sometimes hard to follow.  But after years of making them, I realized she made them exactly the way she imagined the flavor to be in her mind. I find that I now do the same thing after all these years.  I make them the way I think they should taste, and while it’s hard to even write my own recipe, I made an effort this time so that I could share them with you.

Smothered Meatballs and Gravy

2 pounds ground chuck

3/4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 small jar of beef gravy

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, black pepper, and onions. Add 3 tablespoons of beef gravy to the mix. Reserve the remaining jar of gravy for later. If the mixture is too dry, add more gravy. If it is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Mix together with hands until everything is combined. Then shape into meatballs. You can  make larger meatballs to serve for dinner as you see in the photos, or smaller meatballs to serve as appetizers.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high.  Add the meatballs and brown on all sides until, about 7 to 10 minutes. Searing the meatballs locks in the flavor. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Make sure you scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the skillet.  Whisk flour for about a minute or so or until lightly browned.

Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add in the Worcestershire sauce and stir. Add the heavy cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Add the remaining gravy from the jar and whisk to blend.  Remove the meatballs from the oven, and add to gravy. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Serve over buttered egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes!

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