Recipe to Reality: Hearty Meatball Stew

There's nothing I love more than fall for a number of reasons.

1) Cooler weather! This means I can start pulling out my sweaters, scarves, and leggings!

2) Pumpkin everything! Need I say more?

3) Soups and Stews galore!

Although my husband is not the biggest soup/stew fan, I find it very comforting to make one pot meals that taste great the day of and even better the day after.

This week I decided to make Giada DeLaurentiis' Hearty Meatball Stew, which I have made once before, but this time I made my own meatballs from scratch for the first time and they came out delicious!

Here's What You'll Need! (Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis' Hearty Meatball Stew)

For Meatballs:

• 1 slice of potato bread, torn into pieces
• 1 lb ground meatloaf mix (beef, pork, & veal)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

For Stew:

• 1 tbs. flour
• 4 tbs. olive oil
• 1 small red onion sliced, about 1 cup
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 2 small red potatoes, cut into pieces
• 1 cup frozen green beans, cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (I used the one with garlic, basil, and oregano)
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine

Put it All Together!

1) Put the torn bread and 3 tbs. of the water into a big bowl and use a spoon to mash the bread to a thick paste. Add your ground meat, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and use your hands to thoroughly combine ingredients. Form the meat mixture into about 14-16 meatballs and store on tin foil until ready to use them.

2) Sprinkle the meatballs with flour, and roll them around to try and coat as much as possible.

3) Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat for one minute. Then add 2 tbs. of olive oil to your pot.

4) Drop the meatballs into the pot trying to space them a little bit apart.Cook for two minutes until the bottoms and browned, and then rotate the meatballs cooking for another 2 minutes. Continue until all sides are browned and you can't see any more pink. Then remove meatballs from pot and reserve on a plate.

5) Heat another 2 tbs. in the pot and add the onions, peppers, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. 

6) Then add potatoes, beans, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth. Return meatballs to the stew and bring the stew up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until meatballs are cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. 

I decided to serve my stew in a sourdough bread bowl from Panera instead of over rice, but feel free to be creative with your serving style!

A perfect dish for the incoming autumn weather!

Stay Savory,