Ingredients
STALE BREAD
500 gr
GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
200 gr
MINT LEAVES
20
EGG
4
GARLIC
1 clove
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
q.b.
BREAD CRUMBS
q.b.
SALE
q.b.
BABY
q.b.

Baked meatballs are a simple and very tasty dish, perfect to bring to the table both as an appetizer , at the start of a dinner with friends, and as a light and satisfying second course combined with a portion of au gratin vegetables . It is a recovery dish, economical and anti-waste , ready in just a few minutes with ingredients often already present at home.

To prepare them, just soften the stale bread with a drop of warm water, squeeze it well with your hands and then mix it in a bowl with the eggs, grated Parmesan, chopped mint and garlic, and a pinch of salt and of pepper. Once you have formed many meatballs with the resulting mixture, all you have to do is roll them in breadcrumbs, sprinkle them with a drizzle of oil and then cook them in the oven until golden brown. The result will be golden and fragrant morsels, ideal for serving at aperitif time or for an evening with vegetarian guests.

If you wish, just like the classic bread balls , you can cook them in a pan with a little tomato sauce or, for a more enjoyable version, you can fry them in boiling seed oil until they are crispy. For a richer flavour, you can add chopped mortadella to the preparation and flavor everything with your favorite aromatic herbs or, for a stringy result, you can incorporate a few cubes of scamorza or smoked provola.

If the dough is too soft, we suggest adding a handful of breadcrumbs or, alternatively, letting it rest in the fridge for half an hour: this way it will compact perfectly and be easier to shape.

Find out how to prepare oven-baked meatballs by following the step-by-step procedure and advice. If you liked this recipe, also try the potato or chickpea meatballs .

How to prepare baked meatballs

Step 1
Break the bread into pieces and soak it in cold water for about ten minutes; then squeeze it well to remove excess liquid and transfer it to a bowl
1
.

Step 2
Finely chop the mint leaves with a mandolin
2
, then proceed in the same way with the garlic clove.

Step 3
Pour the grated parmesan into the bowl with the squeezed bread and flavor with mint
3
and chopped garlic.

Step 4
Season with salt and pepper
4
.

Step 5
Add the eggs
5
.

Step 6
Start mixing the ingredients with a spatula
6
.

Step 7
At the end, you will have to obtain a compact and homogeneous mixture
7
: if it is too soft, you can add a little breadcrumbs.

Step 8
With slightly damp hands, form many meatballs and roll them in breadcrumbs
8
.

Step 9
As they are ready, place the meatballs on a lightly oiled baking tray
9
.

Step 10
Season them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
10
and let them cook in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes.

Step 11
Once the cooking time has passed, take the meatballs out of the oven and arrange them on a serving plate.
eleven
, and serve them hot and fragrant.

storage
The baked meatballs can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for a maximum of 2 days .