comfort essentials: salisbury meatballs & gravy

How To Make comfort essentials: salisbury meatballs & gravy

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  1

  PREP/PREPARE
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  If your slow cooker/instant pot has a sauté feature, you can cook the meatballs directly in the machine. If it does not, you will need a good size pan… The steps in this recipe are written out and photographed using a large pan.
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  When it comes to condiments and the like, homemade are always the best. Here are the recipes for two of the ingredients in this recipe: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/versatile-homemade-ketchup.html?r=3 https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/diy-essentials-homemade-worcestershire-sauce.html?r=1
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  In this recipe I am using plan breadcrumbs, made with oven-dried bread, ground up in my food processor. Many store-bought breadcrumbs are pre-seasoned, but I would shy away from them, especially the Italian seasoned variety. These are Salisbury meatballs; not Italian.
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  Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
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  THE MEATBALLS
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  Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Then, add the wet ingredients, and whisk until combined. Finally, break up the hamburger, place into the bowl, and use your hands to gently mix the ingredients together.
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  We want the ingredients mixed, but not overmixed. If you overmix, the meatballs will turn out being on the tuff side. And we HATE it when that happens.
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  Form into 1- inch (2.5cm) balls. I use a small ice cream scoop.
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  Add enough oil to a skillet to lightly cover the bottom, then add the meatballs. Set the heat to medium and cook until browned on all sides.
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  Place on the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
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  If you are using the optional sliced onions, place them into the pan that you browned the meatballs in, cook until they soften, then place into the slow cooker with the meatballs.
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  THE GRAVY
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  Whisk all the gravy ingredients together.
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  Pour the gravy over the meatballs.
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  Set your slow cooker/instant pot to Low and cook for about 2 – 2.5 hours.
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  THE SLURRY
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  Whisk the slurry ingredients together in a bowl or mixing cup. You now have two choices: 1. You could remove the meatballs, stir in the slurry, then return the meatballs and slow cook for an additional 30 minutes. 2. You could remove the meatballs, place the gravy in a saucepan, add the slurry and bring to a simmer until thickened, about 3 – 5 minutes. Then, add the meatballs to the saucepan and allow to heat through, about 2 – 3 minutes. I chose the latter.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Serve while nice and warm over a steaming plate of mashed taters, wide cut noodles, or even rice. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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