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Homemade oven baked meatballs in marinara sauce over spaghetti.
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5 from 4 votes

Grandpa's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Grandpa's Spaghetti & Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food! These savory Italian meatballs combine ground beef and Italian sausage, baked and then simmered in a rustic tomato sauce. Perfect to top spaghetti, but also great in meatball subs! Homemade with love, Grandpa's meatballs for a crowd are loved by all!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 to 10
Calories: 703kcal

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 grinds fresh black pepper
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup parsley chopped

For the Sauce

  • 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes or whole peeled (chopped with juice) San Marzano are best!
  • 1 28oz can water
  • 1 12oz can tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 grinds fresh black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

For Serving

  • 1 pound spaghetti or more, depending on number of people
  • Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° convection bake.
  • Mix all ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, use your hands!  Roll into balls and place on a sheet pan.  Makes 16 to 20 golf ball sized meatballs, a portion scoop works great to get a consistent size. 
  • Bake at 400° convection bake for 15 to 20 minutes. You can cut one open to see if it's done.
  • Meanwhile, while the meatballs are baking, combine all ingredients for the sauce in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then turn down heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 hour. Add the cooked meatballs when they are done, along with the drippings from the sheet pan to simmer along with the sauce.
  • Serve over spaghetti with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • Meatballs can also be frozen raw, cooked, or together in the sauce.
  • Meatballs are also perfect for meatball subs on hoagie buns baked with provolone cheese!

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1192mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 4mg