Crispy Sheet Pan Meatballs with Salsa Verde

Sheet pan recipe will forever be in my rotation of recipes. This little meatball can be served as a small plate or it can be dinner. I’ve made it for a “In The Neighborhood” Cooking Class for Southern Flair Happy Hour Club.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove

1 cup packed mixed herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, basil, and/or dill

2 Tbl drained capers

¼ cup walnuts

1 large egg

1 Tbl paprika

2 tsp sea salt

3 Tbl plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 lb ground beef (20% fat)

Directions:

Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°. Finely grate 1 garlic clove into a medium bowl.

Finely chop 1 cup mixed herbs

Finely chop 2 Tbsp. capers, chop ¼ cup walnuts and add to same bowl.

Whisk in 1 egg, 1 Tbl paprika, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 Tbl oil to bowl with walnuts.

Using clean hands, mix 1 cup panko into egg mixture. Add beef and continue to mix gently with your hands until incorporated, but do not overmix. This part is key—if you work the mixture too much, the meat will become tough and springy, almost like sausage, so use a gentle hand. Also: At this point, you can pinch off a little piece of the meatball mixture, crisp it in a skillet, and give it a taste to make sure the seasoning is to your liking. This is your last chance to make any tweaks before they all get cooked.

Drizzle 2 Tbl oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll beef mixture into 1½" balls (about the size of golf balls). Arrange 1" apart on pan.

Bake meatballs, shaking pan halfway through, until crispy on all sides, about 10 minutes. One cool thing about using all beef (instead of a beef-pork-veal combo) is that it's totally fine if the meatballs are a little pink in the middle.

Salsa Verde

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, grated

1 cup of packed mixed chopped herbs such as parsley, cilantro, basil, and/or dill

1 Tbl capers, chopped

1 lemon

Lemon zest

½ cup olive oil

Directions

Finely chop 1 cup mixed herb Finely grate lemon zest into bowl with herbs and garlic. Halve the lemon you just zested and squeeze juice into bowl, using your hand to catch any seeds. Add remaining ½ cup oil and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and add more seasoning if necessary—it should be good and punchy.

Transfer meatballs to a platter, and serve with salsa verde alongside.