Milly's 101: The Best Meatballs

There are some recipes every cook should have in their back pocket - and a good meatball is right up there. Tender, juicy, deeply savoury, and just as at home tossed through pasta as they are tucked into a crusty roll for lunch on the go, or dressed with a sticky sauce sitting atop salad, pickles, your carb of choice and a good drizzle of Kewpie.Even better? They’re a cook once, eat twice (or three times) kind of meal. Make a batch, free-flow freeze them - future-you is looking very organised indeed.

The Golden Rules (Don’t Skip These):
Fat = flavour → This is why I use a mixture of 50/50 beef and pork
Moisture → Breadcrumbs + milk = soft, tender meatballs
Seasoning → Mince needs more salt than you think
A gentle touch → Overmixing = tough meatballs

Milly’s Best Meatballs (Freezer-Friendly)
Makes approx. 40–50 small meatballs

You’ll need:
500g beef mince
500g pork mince
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or fresh)
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 medium onion, grated on your cheese grater
3 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Optional:
½ cup finely grated parmesan
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Zest of ½ a lemon

METHOD

First up - start with your secret weapon - mix the breadcrumbs and milk together and leave for 5 minutes. Add the grated onion and garlic, and the beaten egg, mix well. Rest for another 5 minutes. 
Add everything else (including your choice of optional ingredients) and mix lightly with your hands until just combined.
Optional - pan-fry a small piece and taste it. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Shape the mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs. I use a cookie dough scoop for speed, ease and uniformly sized meatballs, scooping the rough balls onto a tray before, using wet hands, lightly rolling them into shape.
A note on the add-ins: I prefer to leave my meatballs unflavoured (overtly Italian herbs, parmesan, ) which lets me twist them to any flavour (Middle Eastern, vaguely Asian, Italian, etc) when I cook them.
How to Cook (even straight from frozen)
Brown in a pan, then simmer in tomato sauce for 20–25 minutes.
Bake at 180°C for ~20 minutes, then finish in sauce.
Or drop straight into simmering sauce and cook gently for 25–30 minutes.

Ways to Use Them (Beyond Spaghetti)
Cloaked in sauce then tucked into a toasted ciabatta with melted mozzarella
With creamy mash and greens
Skewered with salsa verde
As a simple sharing platter with tomato sauce and parmesan
In a wellness bowl with salad, pickles, your choice of carb and good squirt of Kewpie

Final Word
A freezer full of meatballs is a bit like midweek dinner insurance. Simply line a sheetpan with plastic wrap (make sure it fits into your freezer sitting flat), lay out your meatballs (not touching), cover and freeze until solid. Once they’re frozen, store them in a Ziplock bag or other container.