Baked Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Sauce:
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

1. For the Meatballs:
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
4. In a large bowl, mix the meat, egg, and seasonings until fully combined. Form about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into even sized meatballs and place them on the lined sheet pan.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until fully cooked.
6. For the Sauce:
7. Heat the olive oil in a medium-large sized pot to medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until onions become translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, pepper and next 4 ingredients. Simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes.
8. Serve marinara sauce over the cooked meatballs and top with fresh chopped parsley.