I use a classic meatball recipe to make 2 batches of meatballs-24 meatballs in a batch. One to freeze for another quick, easy to go to meal and the other one to use for soups, appetizers, this recipe and many more go to meals. They freeze well, can be made ahead of time and one multiple prep session can yield many great dishes. This recipe makes 48 small to medium meatballs (I am usually tired of rolling in the end so the meatballs tend to get bigger).  😉 Double up the recipe ingredients for crockpot meatballs or the like and now you have a party!  😀

1. Either prepare your Risotto or use leftover Risotto (if there is such a thing) and add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and combine. If the recipe isn’t sticky enough, add another 1/2 cup parmesan cheese as an additional binder. NOTE: if you are preparing your Risotto fresh, make sure you let it cool down before adding the cheddar cheese so it does not melt into the mixture. The goal is to melt that oooeeeyyy gooooeeeyyy goodness while bathing in the vegetable oil.

   

   

2. Every time I do this next step I get all warm and cozy inside.  😀 Turn on your deep fryer and set the temp to 375 degrees. My deep fryer happens to be my favorite gift of all time! If you do not have one, no prob! Simply fill a deep pot about halfway full with vegetable oil, just enough to cover your Risotto Balls when frying. Turn your heat to medium(ish) and test your oil to see if the temp is high enough by adding a few breadcrumbs, if they start to sizzle and float on top you are good to go.

   

3. On a shallow plate, I use the lid of an old storage container, combine 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, garlic powder to taste, pepper to taste and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to make the coating for the Risotto Balls.

   

4. Take a handy dandy ice cream scoop (so versatile) and scoop up your first Risotto Ball and form it into a perfect delicious ball.

   

   

5. Roll, roll, roll your ball gently down…oh wait, gently in the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Place aside on a plate and repeat.

   

   

6. Ever so gingerly place your Risotto Balls into the nice hot vegetable bath and fry until desired crispiness about 5 minutes.

   

   

7. Remove your Risotto Balls after their vegetable oil bath onto a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle them with a little salt while they are nice and warm. Place them Lovingly on some warm marinara sauce and sprinkle with a little more parmesan cheese to taste and ENJOY!!!  😛

   

   

   

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   I encourage you to leave a comment or a success experience you have had!! The Leave a Reply fields are optional, if you want to remain anonymous just fill in the comment section and hit post! Thank you for sharing your experiences and remember “no [wo]man is an island.”

    

On a side note, my son and I don’t particularly care for the term “wheelhouse” so of course he will get the reference to this title right away. It is the little things we share with our families and the joys of home cooking that mean so very much, in this woman’s humble opinion! ♥

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta of your choice according to package directions. I always add a palm full of kosher salt to the boiling water I do believe it adds taste and if I need the pasta water to loosen up the sauce at times it is already pre-seasoned.

   

2. Chop up your onions and shred your cheese.

   

3. Now we can get this party started! In a nice big cast iron pot or whatever oven safe pot you got, melt 4 tablespoons of the whipped butter on medium heat. Add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, whisking with each addition to combine the flour and butter to make a roux (sauce thickener). Now add the milk one cup at a time as well, whisking again with each addition. Now the arm workout comes in. We want a smooth sauce so keep on whisking until you achieve a no lump sauce. When you are lump free, add the mustard powder, cinnamon, bay leaf and onion. Stir those ingredients together, turn the heat up a smidge and boil for about 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. After you have boiled the sauce to thicken it, lower the heat to medium-low and add that glorious cheese, stir to melt and simmer for about 5 more minutes.

   

   

   

4. In the meantime, melt the remaining whipped butter in a pan and add the breadcrumbs. Coat all of the breadcrumbs.
5. Remove the bay leaf from your sauce. Take your drained macaroni and add it to the beautiful bechamel cheese sauce and combine them together coating all of your macaroni. Sprinkle the breadcrumb and whipped butter mixture evenly over your macaroni and sauce and do the same with the parmesan cheese. Bake in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Turn the oven off and set your broiler to high, broil the topping for about 2-3 minutes until it is nice and golden brown.

   

   

   

6. Remove from the oven and let your bubbly, delish goodness rest for about 5 minutes (if you can restrain yourself  😉 ) Plate and Enjoy!!  😀

   

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   I encourage you to leave a comment or a success experience you have had!! The Leave a Reply fields are optional, if you want to remain anonymous just fill in the comment section and hit post! Thank you for sharing your experiences and remember “no [wo]man is an island.”

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

1. In a crockpot or slow cooker (whichever term you prefer) place your ground beef. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce, bay leaves, dried oregano, garlic powder, pepper, onion and 3 whole cloves of garlic.
2. Mix all the ingredients together and set the timer to cook for 4-6 hours. Stir every hour or so if you are home. The garlic will start to soften and just permeate the sauce.

   

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   Garlic Breadcrumb Topping

   1. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and bring it to a sizzle about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the breadcrumbs and combine, coating all of the breadcrumbs.

   

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Faux Lasagna Assembly

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
2. Layer the bottom of an oven safe baking dish with enough noodles to cover the bottom.
3. Layer a cup or so of the crockpot spaghetti sauce over the noodles.
4. Add half of the mozzarella cheese and spread to cover the sauce.
5. Add half of the garlic breadcrumb topping, spread out over the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle this layer with some parmesan cheese.
6. REPEAT the layers and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a little olive oil over the top to add a golden color when baking.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!  😛