Passover made from scratch.
Juicy and Tender
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Serves
6
This is hands-down the most requested meal of the holiday! Juicy, tender meatballs slow-simmered in roasted crushed tomato sauce and served over quick-sauteed spiralized zucchini. There’s never a single meatball left.
I always make this recipe during Chol Hamoed. It comes together effortlessly in a slow cooker and reheats beautifully. And before we go out for a family outing, I toss peeled, chunked potatoes with salt into a second slow cooker so I can whip up mashed potatoes when we return.
Ingredients
For the Sauce (per slow cooker):
- 1 quart of oven-roasted crushed tomato sauce (see Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe)
- 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
- 1-2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs like basil or oregano (optional)
For the meatballs:
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 shallots, grated or finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (optional)
Steps
1
Prepare the Sauce: Pour 1 quart of roasted crushed tomato sauce into each of two slow cookers. Stir in sugar and herbs if using.
2
Mix the Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, eggs, salt, grated shallots, onion powder, oregano, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
3
Form the Meatballs: Roll into approximately 40 evenly sized meatballs.
4
Divide and Place: Place half the meatballs (about 20) into each slow cooker directly into the sauce.
5
Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on low overnight (8-10 hours). The meatballs will be tender, richly flavored, and fully cooked.
6
Cool and Freeze: Let meatballs cool completely before transferring to containers with sauce for freezing or refrigerating.
To Serve
Serve warm meatballs and sauce over quick-sauteed spiralized zucchini. Simply heat a little olive oil in a skillet, toss in the zucchini noodles, season lightly with salt, and cook for just a few minutes until tender-crisp. Plan on one zucchini per person.
Notes
- This recipe doubles beautifully for a crowd.
- You can also use the sauce for stuffed cabbage or shakshuka-style eggs later in the week.
Let me know how your family enjoys these meatballs—and don’t be surprised when they ask for them again next year!