Frozen Meatballs?

[dragnlaw]

I also have never had a frozen bought meatball that wasn't gross. I believe one of the reasons being is they use a machine to mix. This makes them more paste like and thoroughly disgusting. I have had meatballs at parties and admit to trying more than one but usually because I liked the sauce!

Use only your fingers to mix your ingredients. Keep them stiff and using a kneading motion, bring ingredients in from the edges and poke them down into the centre. This goes for meatballs and meatloaf.

Another key ingredients is stale bread 'croutons' soaked in milk, squeeze out excess milk and incorporate into your meat.
They become unbelievably tender!

Want a quick meal without all the mixing? Just make a huge batch and freeze them! - Homemade frozen meatballs right beside your frozen sauce you always have on hand.

I also bought a meatball gadget, looks like a pair of scissors. Melon baller and ice-cream scoops for different sizes but like my 1" gadget best.
Just dip in water between scoops. Much easier to release.

 

[tenspeed]

use a melon baller for small balls.

I like mine a little bigger than melon ball size, somewhat smaller than a ping pong ball.

But you can make them any size you want. After all, you are the Lou Rawls of your Italian meat balls (apologies to Chef John).

 

[Roll_Bones]

I think I know why.

I thought the exact same thing lol

No recipe. That's correct. I'm not digging through those cards to find a recipe. Heck I'm not even sure where the little box is my wife uses. I like the idea they are a bit different each time.
And I'm not Googling multiple recipes to make something I already know how to make.

So, not agreeing with somebody is closed minded? Well color me closed minded. I'll take my chances with home made..

I said as "close minded" as I was close minded and meant no disrespect.
So, just because something came prepared in advance it must be bad?
I would imagine your ingredient list would be similar to the one on prepared sausages. I guess you don't eat them either.

Of course they will not be as good (well maybe not in every case depending on who's making them) as fresh homemade.
No one is going to dispute that fact.

The whole premise of my thread was to ask if anyone had tried Costco frozen meatballs.

 

[GotGarlic]

No recipe. That's correct. I'm not digging through those cards to find a recipe. Heck I'm not even sure where the little box is my wife uses. I like the idea they are a bit different each time.
And I'm not Googling multiple recipes to make something I already know how to make.

There are other ways to save favorite recipes in a more convenient way.

It sounded like you wanted to use frozen because they always turn out the same way, unlike your homemade ones, which are never the same, which came across as "not as good."

I said as "close minded" as I was close minded and meant no disrespect.

You said

I guess you guys are as closed minded as I was before those meatballs last Christmas.

So you're calling all of us close-minded because we don't like something you like.

So, just because something came prepared in advance it must be bad?

Not necessarily. You were asking specifically about meatballs.

The whole premise of my thread was to ask if anyone had tried Costco frozen meatballs.

That might have been what you intended, but the title of the thread just asks about frozen meatballs. So that's what we responded to.

 

[dragnlaw]

I'm not digging through those cards to find a recipe.
And I'm not Googling multiple recipes to make something I already know how to make.


.

LOL - Hey! that's half the fun!

 

[Rocklobster]

I'm not offended in any way..honestly..I just like to encourage cooking from scratch with whole foods...I mean..that's why we are all here on this forum, after all..

 

[buckytom]

If this were on a road trip, I would say to every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose.

TURN!

 

[caseydog]

I like mine a little bigger than melon ball size, somewhat smaller than a ping pong ball.

But you can make them any size you want. After all, you are the Lou Rawls of your Italian meat balls (apologies to Chef John).

I just suggested the scoop to make it easier for the OP to get uniform meatballs. For someone who is intimidated by the thought of making meatballs, I want to keep it as easy as possible.

CD

 

[caseydog]

To the thin-skined (you know who you are), RTB said he was closed minded about frozen meatballs until he tried the ones his sister made, and suggested that we may be, too. I got the meaning, and wasn't offended, but then, I don't look for opportunities to be offended (and then have to have the last word).

Now, back to the topic.

As I posted before, I have not eaten COSTCO frozen meatballs.

Also, you may want to check your grocer's meat department for fresh meatballs. What you don't use right away, you can freeze to have on hand.

Finally, meatballs are not as difficult as you think they are. They are actually pretty easy. And, you get the added reward of a new cooking skill.

CD

 

[caseydog]

If this were on a road trip, I would say to every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose.

TURN!

Hmmmmm, you should think about putting that to music.

CD

 

[CraigC]

There's no way I'm able to cook meatballs. You have to add pork to the beef. Too advanced for me. I buy frozen meatballs, but I'm sure to check the ingredients to see that it includes pork, not just beef.

My "go to" Italian-American meatballs are just beef. I know there are recipes that just use veal and then there are those that use just pork.

 

[Roll_Bones]

To the thin-skined (you know who you are), RTB said he was closed minded about frozen meatballs until he tried the ones his sister made, and suggested that we may be, too. I got the meaning, and wasn't offended, but then, I don't look for opportunities to be offended (and then have to have the last word).

Now, back to the topic.

As I posted before, I have not eaten COSTCO frozen meatballs.
Also, you may want to check your grocer's meat department for fresh meatballs. What you don't use right away, you can freeze to have on hand.
Finally, meatballs are not as difficult as you think they are. They are actually pretty easy. And, you get the added reward of a new cooking skill.
CD

Thanks. That is exactly what I meant.
My grocer does have them all the time in the meat case. We have no butchers here. Only grocery store butchers. I never thought about trying them as I always make my own.

I don't have issue with slight changes in the outcome when making meatballs, meatloaf and stuffed vegetables.
I have always made my own. I guess I could make a written recipe to follow to get a consistent result.
Its not that I cannot make them myself. I was looking for reviews on Costco meatballs.
Nothing more. Thanks again.

 

[GotGarlic]

To the thin-skined (you know who you are)... but then, I don't look for opportunities to be offended.

Hiding behind snide sideways comments is silly. If you have something to say, have the courage to come right out and say it to whomever you are talking to.

(and then have to have the last word)

This is nothing more than an attempt to silence others. Knock it off.

Now, back to the topic.

Whatever would we do without you to decide how a thread unfolds?

 

[caseydog]

Hiding behind snide sideways comments is silly. If you have something to say, have the courage to come right out and say it to whomever you are talking to.


This is nothing more than an attempt to silence others. Knock it off.


Whatever would we do without you to decide how a thread unfolds?

GG, this post is for you... and thanks for proving my point. I bet you can't resist replying to this post, too. It's like an itch you just have to scratch, isn't it?

CD

 

[tenspeed]

Here's a Chef John video for those homemademeatballophobes (is that a word?):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKjmdrMA2t8

 

[GotGarlic]

Here's a Chef John video for those homemademeatballophobes (is that a word?):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKjmdrMA2t8

Kewl

 

[Mad Cook]

Last Christmas Eve, my daughter brought a slow cooker filled with meatballs and a semi sweet sauce. Garlicy!
They were fabulous and frankly I was expecting them to be terrible. I was wrong.
She got them at Aldi along with the sauce recipe?
Note: It looks like they are seasonal at Aldi as my wife has not seen them.

In Costco's magazine, they highlighted their frozen Italian meatballs once and ever since, I have wanted to try them.
However, 100 meatballs is not a trial size. And I have not had the luck to taste them at the little food tasting stations.

Has anyone ever tried the Costco frozen Italian meatballs? Good? Bad? Buy again?

To be honest, Bones, I'd make my own. (I'm fortunate in that I have known my butcher since before he inherited his grandfather's & father's shop so I know his stuff is good). If you make your own you control the quality and can find a recipe you like tweak it to your taste.

They are no trouble to make and take less time and effort than traipsing off to the store to buy the ready-made ones. And you control the number you have in the freezer.

 

[letscook]

Every family gathering Mostly Christmas, My mom would make her meatballs and winnies. It wouldn't be a family gathering without grama Ellies crockpot full of these. She would buy a bag of the smaller size meatball, put them in the crockpot frozen then she would mix up equal amounts of grape jelly and Heinz chili sauce (the sweet chili sauce in a bottle) Then pour them over the meatballs. Once the Meatball were heated through she would add the little cocktail winnies . 2 small pkgs or one large.
Just let them heat on low as all are cooked already. If she thawed the meatballs first she would put everything in at once. It was the first thing everyone went for.

 

[GotGarlic]

Every family gathering Mostly Christmas, My mom would make her meatballs and winnies. It wouldn't be a family gathering without grama Ellies crockpot full of these. She would buy a bag of the smaller size meatball, put them in the crockpot frozen then she would mix up equal amounts of grape jelly and Heinz chili sauce (the sweet chili sauce in a bottle) Then pour them over the meatballs. Once the Meatball were heated through she would add the little cocktail winnies . 2 small pkgs or one large.
Just let them heat on low as all are cooked already. If she thawed the meatballs first she would put everything in at once. It was the first thing everyone went for.

Do you mean cocktail weenies - little sausages?

That's a delicious, classic recipe from Betty Crocker.

 

[letscook]

Yes the packs of the cocktail winnies ( mini hot dogs) or you can use what they call little smokies


Was it a Betty Crocker recipes? , never knew where she got the recipe from, Just she made them for years and they were good. She use to make the meatballs herself till she discovered frozen ones. I remember the day she discovered them. She called everyone and Asked Did you know they sell frozen meatballs? We all laughed. They were good either way.