Cinnamon Meatballs

Cinnamon Meatballs.  Cinnnamonnnnn meatballs.  Really - no matter how many times I say it - it sounds sooo weird.

I mean - I realise that cinnamon is a fairly common ingredient in lots of dishes.  Especially in North African (see Morocco) dishes.

But it took me a long time to take the plunge into actually trying it.

I wish I'd done it sooner.  Trust me and go with it.

In a large bowl, combine the onion and parsley.

The egg.

Add the oregano and thyme.

And the cinnamon.

And salt and pepper.

Then throw in the breadcrumbs.

And the beef.

Gently mix everything together and then divide into meatballs.  I used a medium cookie scoop.

Throw the meatballs into the oven.

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce.

Melt some butter and cook with some garlic.

Add in the flour and cook until it's slightly golden.  Slowly pour in the milk and cook until it starts to thicken.  Add in the tomato sauce.

The parmesan cheese.

And cinnamon.

Stir it all together, bring to a simmer and thicken.  The stir in the meatballs.

Stir to coat.  I recommend serving over egg noodles.  The cinnamon gravy on the egg noodles is like something out of a dream.

And you know what?  They kindof tasted like cinnamon, but they kindof tasted like so much more.

The cinnamon was present, but unobtrusive.  The meatballs were tender and flavourful.

If you live in my neck of the woods, we've just launched into a beautiful warm spell.  I even had the kitchen window open today!

Although the beautiful day has me all confident about Spring, but it's totally likely that we'll get an enormous dump of snow - you should absolutely make it on that day.  BUT - if we don't get that Spring dump of snow - I'll remind you about this when the Fall comes.

Enjoy!  - Heather

Cinnamon Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 egg

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, egg, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix until combined and roll into meatballs.  (I suggest using a medium cookie scoop)
4. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.
5. While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute until the garlic is slightly cooked through.
6. Add the flour and whisk until it's coated in the butter and slightly golden.  Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and starts to thicken.
7. Stir in the tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Continue to cook until thickened.
8. After the meatballs have finished baking, stir them into the sauce.  Cook over low heat, stirring to coat the meatballs into the sauce.
9. Serve over egg noodles.

Source: Hungry Couple NYC