Classic Meatballs

I love taking classic recipes and making them into a meatball. Whether it’s a family favorite, a regional specialty, or an iconic American dish – you’ll find all of those timeless classics reimagined in meatball form right here.

Classic Simple Spaghetti and Meatballs served with homemade dinner roles and a side salad

Classic Meatballs

Each classic meatball recipe is carefully crafted to capture the authentic flavors of the original dish while delivering the convenience and versatility of a meatball. Whether you’re craving the rich, hearty taste of Italian-style meatballs, the smoky spice of Southern BBQ, or the comforting warmth of a homestyle casserole, these recipes offer something for everyone. Perfect for meal prep, quick dinners, or as a crowd-pleasing party appetizer, these meatball variations make it easy to enjoy the flavors you love in a fun, portable form.

These classic meatball recipes bring a fun and flavorful twist to any meal, perfect for dinner parties, weeknight dinners, or a tasty appetizer.

Featured Classic Meatball Recipes

Italian Wedding Soup

I’ve read that Italian Soup originated in Naples and that its original name is “minestra maritata” that translates to married soup, referring to the perfect blend of ingredients in the soup. Traditionally the soup has consisted of leafy greens like swiss chard or kale and a rich meat broth featuring beef or ham hock. I’ve taken the concept of marrying the ingredients and added the my meatballs to the soup that creates a delicious soup that you can have for lunch or dinner. One unique step I take when making my Italian Wedding Soup is to toast the pasta before cooking it, either in the oven on a sheet pan or in a sauté pan on the stovetop. Just be sure to keep an eye on it and stir frequently to avoid burning.

In my version of Italian Wedding Soup, I also prefer to use fresh spinach instead of the traditional Swiss chard or kale, though I occasionally swap in collard greens for a Southern twist. To boost the nutritional value, I also add extra vegetables occasionally like green beans and mushrooms, making this meatball-packed soup a hearty and nutritious meal.

A plate of beef meatballs in a jalapeno cheese sauce served with coleslaw next to a bowl filled with more meatballs in a jalapeno cheese sauce

Beef Meatballs in a Jalapeño Cheese Sauce

Who can resist a rich, spicy cheese sauce? Pair it with my Basic Beef Meatballs, and you’ve got the perfect game night appetizer or one of the most mouthwatering cheesy meatball subs you’ll ever taste. We love a good cheese sauce in my house and have a unhealthy relationship with spicy food. While we love pushing our spice tolerance, this recipe stays fairly mild, thanks to the use of jalapeños. They add just the right kick without overwhelming the flavor.

The inspiration for this spicy jalapeño cheese sauce came from a friend’s jalapeño macaroni and cheese recipe, and it sparked the idea to create a quick and easy meatball dish. My Basic Beef Meatballs are simple to make, and the jalapeño cheddar sauce can be prepared while the meatballs bake. It’s a fast, flavorful recipe that’s sure to impress.

Lasagna Soup with Meatballs

Who doesn’t love lasagna? It’s one of those classic dishes we all enjoy, but it can feel time-consuming to make. I tend to make mine more complicated by adding spinach, sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and onions to my ricotta and cottage cheese mixture, which adds extra steps. That’s why I created this lasagna soup recipe—it has all the delicious flavors of lasagna but comes together much quicker for an easy dinner. You get it all with this recipe, the noodles and the tasty tomato sauce, even all of the wonderful cheeses that you get in a full-on lasagna.

I also love making meatballs, and they’re the perfect addition to this hearty soup, giving it the same satisfying texture as traditional lasagna. The little meatballs add a fun twist, and the rich, flavorful broth is packed with all the comforting elements of a classic lasagna. My favorite part is the dollop of cool ricotta cheese on top, which adds a delicious contrast to the hot soup. It’s a quick, comforting meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor.

Plain Chicken Meatballs served in both a bowl garnished with fresh parsley and served with toothpicks on a plate

Basic Chicken Meatballs

My Basic Chicken Meatball recipe is a must-have for any occasion, offering versatility and a healthier alternative to traditional beef meatballs, especially if you’re looking to reduce red meat in your diet. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners, these chicken meatballs can be served as sliders with each family member’s favorite condiment, or as fun appetizers on toothpicks with a variety of dipping sauces.

This easy chicken meatball recipe is my go-to base for countless dishes. It’s simple to customize—just add your favorite spices or that secret family seasoning blend everyone loves. These chicken meatballs are sure to become a family favorite, even for picky eaters, making them a delicious and nutritious addition to your meal rotation.

There are so many different applications for these meatballs and they can be used in any of the recipes on this site if you want to sub out chicken for any of the other meats that I use in any of the recipes. They have a milder flavor too than the other meats that I use for my recipes.

Pork meatballs served over white rice in a Firecracker sauce topped with scallions served with coleslaw

Thanksgiving Dinner Meatballs

This is the recipe that started it all. This recipe started this crazy journey of making meatballs. The inspiration for this one is obvious but it got me going on figuring out how to make full meals fit in to one little meatball. Getting all of the flavors of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner to fit into one meatball was definitely a process of trial and error. The biggest challenge was getting everything to stick together in ball form but not losing the integrity of each ingredient. I wanted definite bites of turkey and stuffing and I really didn’t want to mix those two ingredients and have the meatball turn into more of a stuffing ball.

I added in some cranberries just as you would during Thanksgiving dinner. To create the ultimate effect of Thanksgiving you can serve these little delightful balls over mashed potatoes and top them with your favorite gravy. There are a perfect this to make with some Thanksgiving leftovers as well! You can just get some ground turkey and season it according to the recipe and add your leftover stuffing! Depending on your traditional meal you’ll probably have the mashed potatoes and gravy to serve them on as well!