Serves 4
What happens if you take the bread and pasta out of a big spaghetti dinner? You’re left with meatballs and salad. And since we like meatballs on everything, we thought maybe a meatball salad might be tasty. We hope you like our idea, too!
This is a fun and different way to eat meatballs that we really enjoy. Eating them this way has all the flavors of great Italian food in a healthful salad!
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb ground red meat
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper
• 12 basil leaves, sliced thinly
• 1 heart of romaine in 1-inch ribbons
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• ½ C sliced black olives, drained and rinsed
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine beef, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl; mix by hand until thoroughly combined.
3. Form mixture into 1½-inch meatballs (a heaping tablespoon) and place in 9-by-13-inch baking dish or baking sheet with a lip.
4. Bake in 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, until cooked through.
5. Toss meatballs with remaining ingredients of the salad, sprinkling the vinegar on top.
