Frozen Meatballs?

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Roll_Bones

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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?
 
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I have never had a frozen meatball that was good. Some are less gross than others but since I don't buy them, I don't know brands.


100 meatballs is a LOT, even if they are good.
 
I have never had a frozen meatball that was good. Some are less gross than others but since I don't buy them, I don't know brands.


100 meatballs is a LOT, even if they are good.

+2. Can't stand the texture or flavor.
 
I guess you guys are as closed minded as I was before those meatballs last Christmas.
I'm a fairly critical guy when it comes to food. Particular, as well and always made my own meatballs.
The meatballs my daughter bought were actually very good.
There were a couple guests that asked her for the recipe.
They were good enough to buy again.
I have literally made thousands of meatballs over the years and consider them to be the very best. But they are time consuming and take considerable work. Also they NEVER turn out the same every time. Same with my meatloaf. I do not follow recipes for these things.
I was considering them for nights we need a quick meal as I always have frozen marinara in the freezer.
It was a big surprise to say the least.

So no one has tasted a frozen Costco meatball?
 
So no one has tasted a frozen Costco meatball?

For a big party I'll throw 100 frozen meatballs in a slow cooker and dump a jar's worth of some kind of sauce over them. They'll eat 'em... :LOL:

My daughter bought them for her kid's birthday party last year. It was a big bag and I believe they were from Costco. I thought they were pretty good, they were all gone.
 
I re-visit my childhood school cafeteria days now and then by cooking some rice until its starchy enough to use an ice cream scoop to put on the plate, then add the gravy smothered beef meatballs on top. A lettuce and pear salad topped with a dab mayo. Childhood cafeteria memories...yum. Sloppy Joe days too.
 
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I'm not opposed to using frozen meatballs, when you want a quick dinner. Some grocery stores also sell fresh ones in the meat department.

Being a single guy, there is no way I'm buying 100 meatballs, so I have never tried the ones from COSTCO. If they are Kirkland branded, there is a better than average chance they are at least decent.

CD
 
I guess you guys are as closed minded as I was before those meatballs last Christmas.
So, not agreeing with somebody is closed minded? Well color me closed minded. I'll take my chances with home made..
Costco Meat ball ingredients: Ground Beef, Water, Bread crumbs (enriched bleached wheat flour (bleaced wheat flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine, Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Durum Flour, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Shortening (Soybean), Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium, Phosphate), Dextrose, Yeast, Spice Extractive), Soy Protein Concentrate, Salt, Dextrose, Mustard, Spices, Dehydrated Green Bell Pepper, Dehydrated Red bell Pepper, Parmesan CHeese (Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Romano CHeese from Cow's Milk (Cultured Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Slat, Enzymes), Dehydrated Garlic, Hydrolyzed soy protein, natural Flavors, Dehydrated parsley. Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat.
 
Costco Meat ball ingredients: Ground Beef, Water, Bread crumbs (enriched bleached wheat flour (bleaced wheat flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine, Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Durum Flour, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Shortening (Soybean), Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium, Phosphate), Dextrose, Yeast, Spice Extractive), Soy Protein Concentrate, Salt, Dextrose, Mustard, Spices, Dehydrated Green Bell Pepper, Dehydrated Red bell Pepper, Parmesan CHeese (Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Romano CHeese from Cow's Milk (Cultured Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Slat, Enzymes), Dehydrated Garlic, Hydrolyzed soy protein, natural Flavors, Dehydrated parsley. Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat.

So what does this list of ingredients mean to the average consumer out there? :)
 
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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.
 
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.

Mixing ground pork and ground beef is about as easy as easy gets. You just flake equal parts of the two meats apart from their packages into one bowl, and get your fingers in and mix the meat up. No tools needed but the ones at the ends of your arms. It takes me about a minute.

Then, add your other ingredients, and get your hands in there again -- another minute or two.

Once mixed, use something like an ice-cream or cookie-dough scoop to measure out the meat, and gently roll into balls.

CD
 
Once mixed, use something like an ice-cream or cookie-dough scoop to measure out the meat, and gently roll into balls.
I make them strictly by hand, as it's much faster. They're not all exactly the same size, but it doesn't matter. Pork isn't a requirement, either. I can form a 2 lb. (meat) batch in the time it takes to heat the oven, about 15 - 20 minutes, and I'm not that fast. That's about 50 meatballs.

Part of the reason I cook is that I can control what I eat. We eat convenience foods on rare occasions, and I can feel the difference afterwards (fat, salt, and who knows what else hangover).
 
use a melon baller for small balls..just scoop and use the edge of the bowl to pack it. Use a spoon or a finger to pop it out on the cookie sheet..done

Small ice cream scoops work well..
 
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