Baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make baked meatballs in tomato sauce? Get your ingredients ready. You can use any ground meat: pork, beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, or a blend. If it's frozen, thaw it ahead of time on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Scrub and peel the carrot, and peel the onion.

2. Step 2:

   

   Fill a pot with two cups of water and set it over the heat. Add the rinsed rice—about half a cup—and, once it boils, cook until half-done, about 10 minutes.

3. Step 3:

   

   While the rice cooks, finely dice the onion. Grate the peeled carrot on the coarse or fine side of a grater—I used the fine side, which I prefer.

4. Step 4:

   

   Drain the half-cooked rice in a colander and rinse it under running water.

5. Step 5:

   

   Heat a skillet on the stove. Pour in the vegetable oil and add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until translucent.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the grated carrot to the onion and keep cooking the vegetables for another 5 minutes, stirring. Take the skillet off the heat.

7. Step 7:

   

   Mix the rinsed, cooked rice into the ground meat.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add half of the sautéed onion and carrot to the meat and mix.

9. Step 9:

   

   Leave the other half of the sautéed vegetables in the skillet.

10. Step 10:

    

    Pour the tomato juice (or the water-thinned tomato paste) into the vegetables left in the skillet. Set it back over the heat, turn it a little below medium, and let the sauce reduce a bit—let it simmer uncovered for a while.

11. Step 11:

    

    While the stove is busy, go back to the meat. Beat the egg into it.

12. Step 12:

    

    Add salt.

13. Step 13:

    

    Add ground pepper.

14. Step 14:

    

    Add a little dried basil (or other spices to taste).

15. Step 15:

    

    Mix the meat mixture thoroughly.

16. Step 16:

    

    By now the sauce has simmered a little. Stir the sour cream into it.

17. Step 17:

    

    Stir and let it simmer about 5 minutes, reducing to the consistency you want—but remember the sauce will thicken further during baking, even without any flour!

18. Step 18:

    

    Turn the oven on and let it heat to 350°F (180°C). With wet hands, shape the meat mixture into round meatballs and set them in a baking dish, spaced slightly apart.

19. Step 19:

    

    Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs.

20. Step 20:

    

    Bake the meatballs for about 40 minutes, keeping an eye on the sauce so it doesn't scorch. If it starts to, cover the dish with foil.

21. Step 21:

    

    Any side goes well with these meatballs in tomato sauce, and the dish is great on its own too. Enjoy!