Alessandra's Meatballs

During our trip to Italy, we had the pleasure of cooking in Alessandra's kitchen. One of our favorite dishes was Polpettine di Olive, or as I call it Alessadra's Meatballs. This was the first of the many recipes Alessandra shared with us and it has been a hit with our family and friends. The preparation is simple and the tasty treats can be frozen before breading and used as needed. Tonight we made them for our neighborhood dinner. As you can see, Kenny was the fry cook! Thanks, Alessandra for sharing your kitchen and love for cooking.

Alessandra's Meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup carrots, chopped

3/4 cups celery, chopped

1/2 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound bulk sausage

1 1/4 pound ground beef

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup olives, chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

Panko bread crumbs

Saute the vegetables in the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meats and cook until done, stirring to break the meat into small pieces. Drain, if needed. Return to the skillet and add the wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the parmesan, 1egg, and the seasonings. Mix well and chill. Once chilled, form into 1-inch balls. At this point the meatballs can be chilled or frozen. Roll the meatballs in flour, egg and bread crumbs and fry in olive oil until brown. Serve with mayonaise seasoned with Worchesteshire sauce, basil and oregano. Makes 40 meatballs.