5 Ways to Revive your Tired Meatballs with Simple Ingredient Swaps
Tired of making the same lack luster spaghetti with meatballs week after week, swearing you’d gladly brush up your hitting skills by knocking those friggin’ meatballs out of the ballpark rather than seeing them on top of spaghetti just one more time? Surely such a spectacle would snap your family out of their weekday meal malaise and spark some interesting dinner conversation.
“Wow! Mom, I never knew you could hit a meatball so far”.
“Get a load of mom’s swing”.
“Can you do some batting practice with me after school tomorrow?”
“I’ll buy the chopped meat!”
Give me your tired go-to meatball recipe and I’ll show you how to infuse it with a well-deserved burst of inspiration.
It’s easy and no batting skills are required. As with most new undertakings, it’s best to start small. You’ll be surprised to see how deliciously different your once tired meatballs become simply by introducing just one variation into your meatball routine. With a few easy tweaks to your standard recipe, your mouth will feel like it’s gone on vacation.
Let’s start by looking at your recipe with new eyes and see what you can switch out:
1. Swap your recipe’s flavor profiles with those from different ethnic cuisines. Same meat, same technique different spices, herbs and rubs. For example, if your recipe has Italian flavors, think Asian, Moroccan or Mexican. Viola, new dish, new flavors!
2. Swap different side dishes-put meatballs in a roll or baguette- melt some mozzarella add a little tomato sauce- you’ll have Meatball sub in flash. Try your meatballs over couscous, orzo or rice with garlic and herbs or in soups.
3. Swap out your protein. Instead of meat use lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, portobello mushrooms, chickpeas or lentils.
Here some recipes to get you started
• Mexican Meatballs in Tomato Soup served with polenta croutons and tortilla chips. (Think chili powder, cumin and oregano). Ya! Who doesn’t love chips with dinner.
• Spicy Asian Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps (think beef and pork with ginger, garlic, soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free) orange zest and sriracha)
• Greek Meatballs with Mint and Yogurt sauce (think beef/lamb/chicken or pork, onion, cumin, oregano, mint, parsley)
• Moroccan Meatballs over Couscous (think lamb or beef, onion, parsley, cinnamon, cumin and coriander) (or rice, pasta, orzo, quinoa or gluten free orzo, if gluten free)
• Mediterranean Meatballs over Orzo (think lamb or beef, feta, olives, roasted red peppers, lemon) (or sorghum if gluten free)
• Portobello Meatballs over Quinoa with Feta (think mushrooms, onions, lentils, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)
By bringing new life to old recipes you are not only reviving your tired and true meatballs, you are bringing new life to your family’s dinner table. With the element of surprise, old patterns and habits are easily jolted. New food sparks new conversations. New conversations provoke great grins and family memories. Now go and knock those old tired recipes out of the ballpark.
Even if you get a few strikes along the way, it sure feels good to be back in the game.
What’s your secrets for sparking new life into your old, tried and true standby dishes? Please share your sneaky swaps in the comments below. Thanks, smiles.
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Serve it up with kickass conversations with your kids. Repeat.
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