Enchilada Meatballs

To a mixing bowl, add ground chuck. Add in all of the meatball ingredients, except the oil. You want to thoroughly mix all of the ingredients, but be careful not to over-mix into a mushy meat.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Form the meat mixture into meatballs. I always say to go with your desired size. Some go the size of golf balls, up to the size of baseballs. I’m somewhere in between. Go with what you like. Once the balls are formed, set aside on a tray.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil, and swirl oil in the pan. Once oil is lightly smoking, or just before, add meatballs. Do not overcrowd. If you need to, cook the meatball in batches. Your goal here is to form a crust, so after a minute or so, gently turn the meatballs to get a crust going around the entire meatball. Adjust heat accordingly. If it is too hot, lower it a bit, and vice versa.

Once a crust has formed, remove meatballs and place on a baking sheet or casserole dish. If you need to brown more meatballs, clean out the pan, add more oil, and repeat.

Place meatballs in the oven, cover with foil, and bake for about 25 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

While meatballs are in the oven, make the sauce. Add sauce ingredients to a small sauce pot, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Take the meatballs out of the oven and pour the sauce all over the meatballs. Gently turn the meatballs to coat with the sauce.

Now you are ready to eat! You may be asking, “What the heck do I serve these enchilada meatballs with?” Well, it’s really up to you. I served mine with a Mexican style rice, sliced avocados, and warm corn tortillas. You could go that route, or go ahead make with pasta if you want. You can go down the path of a Mexican torta (sandwich), or even slice the meatballs into tacos. However you serve these, you are going to love them. It’s a lovely surprise to those who may think it is a traditional meatball, but these are a bit elevated and awesomely intense with crazy good flavor. Enjoy!