Katy, a reader from Idaho who sent me this recipe several months ago, told me that she has had people insist that these meatballs are really made of meat. I must admit I was skeptical at first… but she’s right, these mock meatballs are incredible. They actually taste like “real” meatballs… the texture is the same… and they even look the same! Thank you, Katy… this recipe is definitely a keeper.
1 cup finely ground walnuts
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup yogurt cheese or drained cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs… I make my own from 6 slices of bread and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons dried parsley, and 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil, and garlic powder… OR (as specified in the recipe) 2 cups purchased seasoned bread crumbs
3 or 4 whole raw eggs
Very Finely Ground Walnuts
Herb-Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs
Grated Cheddar Cheese
My Method — Preparing the Ingredients
The taste and texture is what “makes” these meatballs, so how the ingredients are prepared is extremely important.
- The walnuts must be ground very finely, almost to the “nut butter” stage. (The food processor does this in a couple of minutes.) Chopped walnuts won’t give the meatballs the right texture.
- I grate the cheddar cheese separately in the food processor until it too is very finely grated.
- The yogurt cheese is made from my own yogurt, drained overnight in a colander (in the refrigerator).
- I chop the onion, cook it until it is transparent, and then run it through the food processor until it is pureed… this gives flavor but no chunks of onions in the meatballs.
- I make the seasoned bread crumbs from six slices of dry bread and oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese, pulsing all these ingredients together in the food processor until the crumbs are very fine. (The original recipe called for purchased seasoned bread crumbs, which probably would not have Parmesan cheese as an ingredient. We really like the addition of the Parmesan cheese.)
Making the Mock Meatball Mixture
Combine all of the prepared ingredients… walnuts, cheddar cheese, yogurt cheese, onion, and herb-seasoned bread crumbs… in a large bowl. Add the salt, basil, and sage, and mix well. At this point, before you add the egg, taste the mixture and add more herbs, salt, etc., to suit your taste.
Next, add the eggs… one at a time… and mix them in thoroughly until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. How many eggs to add depends on the size of the eggs and the dryness of the bread crumbs. You will want the mixture to be the same consistency as for regular meatballs or meatloaf. Be careful not to add too many eggs and make the mixture too wet.
Shaping and Cooking the Meatballs
Meatballs After Browning
I shape the mixture into meatballs that are slightly less than two inches in diameter. The original recipe then went on to bake the meatballs in tomato sauce for 35 to 40 minutes. I bake my meatballs in my homemade spaghetti sauce (tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley, and garlic), but before I add the meatballs to the sauce, I bake the meatballs in the oven on a baking tray until the outsides of the meatballs are lightly browned. I think browning the meatballs adds to both the flavor and the texture, although this was not in the original recipe.
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled, and the extra meatballs freeze beautifully in the sauce.