Delicious Weeknight Meatballs: Iron Chef's Recipe

Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, a familiar face from various Food Network shows and the owner of several restaurants and cookbooks, has shared one of his favorite meatball recipes. It's a delicious and healthy option perfect for family dinners during the week.

Weeknight MeatballsPhoto byGeoffrey Zakarian

"It smells so amazing, and there's nothing quite like the aroma to trigger food memories," he mentioned about this dish.

"This is a fantastic idea for a weeknight meal since you can whip up a big batch and freeze the leftovers," said the chef, who divides his time between Florida and New York. He also hosts "The Kitchen" and serves as a judge on "Chopped."

He mentioned that garlic bread is a great addition to almost any pasta dish, but it can also double as a warm bruschetta if you slice it into smaller pieces and add some fresh diced tomatoes on top.

Ingredients for this Recipe:

• 1 large onion, cut into chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup water
• ½ pound ground pork
• ½ pound ground veal
• ½ pound ground beef
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 cup unseasoned dried bread crumbs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

How to make these Meatballs:

1. Add the onion, garlic, and water into a food processor and blend until it’s super smooth.

2. In a big mixing bowl, mix together the pork, veal, beef, eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, red pepper flakes, and some salt and pepper. Pour in the onion purée and mix it all up with your hands until it’s just combined.

3. Start by wetting your hands, then shape the mixture into 24 meatballs and lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and set them aside.

4. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake the meatballs on the lower rack for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 160°F when poked into one of the meatballs.

Enjoy these meatballs with side of cheesy garlic bread.