My first real food dilemma. Need help !!

I have successfully replaced bread crumbs with ground flax seed meal. Acts as a binder too.

1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 teaspoons dry minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 2 ounces (I used the kind in a can)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl using your fingers. Mix until the meat no long feels slimy from the eggs. Shape in golf ball size meatballs and place on a large baking sheet with sides. Bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are done all the way through. Rinse in a colander to remove any egg and cheese that has leaked out.

Makes about 20-30 meatballs
Can be frozen

To all cooks:  How does that sound?  How many times should I double that recipe for 20 people?  Also, what is bulk Italian sausage?  Will regular sausage (Jimmy Dean type) work?  Should I use hot/spicy sausage or mild?

 

THANK YOU!

 Recipe sounds great. 

You'd need to at least triple for 20 people (that way you have at least 3 meatballs person). 

As for bulk sausage, it's just sausage that hasn't been put into a casing (made into links). I use sweet italian sausage when I make it for a group, just in case somebody can't do the spicy of using hot italian sausage. 

So  I can get sweet Italian bulk sausage at a normal grocery store in the deli or meat department?  That sounds delish.

Thanks so much.

~Becky

Becky,  I would double it once. You can buy bulk sausage at the meat counter.  Sweet Italian is good.  Had you thought of doing a platter with different kinds of cheeses and olives like an antipasto platter?  Slice cheese before and just lay out right before dinner.  You could add crackers of the others and some endive lettuce and some tomatoes for yourself.  Melissa

Hey Melissa,

If no one else does a cheese tray I will probably buy one.  That way my meal can be cheese and meatballs.

One person is already complaining that I want to bring meatballs.  So we will see. 

~Becky

Can't believe that someone is complaining that you are bringing more food. For a group that size, more choices the better. Tell them they don't have to have any of your yummy meatballs if they don't want you to bring them!

To add a twist to your meatballs...(this was just on Rachel Ray 30 min. meals, so don't give me the credit), add a piece of fresh mozz. to the center of the sausage before you cook it. 
Basically, in the specialty cheese dept. they have little tubs with little sized balls of mozz. cheese. Take one of those and surround it with the sausage before you cook it. Or if you don't want to spring for the mozz. balls, then I'd get a cheese stick and cut it up, then put it in the midle of the meat. I just bought all the fixins so I can't want to do this on Monday.

Funny about that.  There was another thread about cheese wrapped meatballs and I totally forgot that when I was asking about making meatballs for spaghetti.

I may do half and half!!

~Becky

 Another idea is Italian sausage (you could even get both sweet and hot) sliced up baked with onions and green peppers.     My DH just did that for my daughter's graduation party (she requested a pasta bar for her party) and theh people could just either eat it seperately from the pasta, or put it over the pasta and sauce.     We just sliced the Italian sausage in about one-inch chunks.   You can bake it off and then warm it back up in the crock pot.   The meatballs are an outstanding idea, but if you are pressed for time, this would be a bit quicker.  

Have fun!

Thanks Julie.  So would the sausage go on top of the spaghetti?  Do you mean cutting up the polska type sausages?  I have a lot of that already as I buy it in bulk at Sams Club.  Would you just slice it or would you slice and quarter it? 

~Becky