Write an article based on this "Add fresh, chopped onion and minced garlic for added flavor depth. Mix the 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup of milk ahead of time for more tender balls. Bake directly in a marinara sauce, covered with cheese, for instant meatball sub material. Add a simple glaze to serve the meatballs as their own entree. Brown the outside of the meatballs and then freeze them if you need to cook ahead."
The most common addition to simple meatballs is onion and garlic, as they bring a richness to the meatballs without a ton of extra work. If you finely chop up half an onion (less than 1/2-inch big pieces) and mince 2-3 cloves of garlic, add them to the meat before the egg and breadcrumbs. A 1/4 cup of freshly cut parsley goes wonderfully with the onion and garlic as well. This pre-soaking will make the breadcrumbs soggy, which releases moisture as the meatballs cook to keep them tender and juicy throughout. Once the meatballs are formed, cook them on the stovetop at high heat just until the edges brown. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 F. Dump the half-cooked balls into a shallow baking dish and smother them with red sauce, then cover with cheese (mozzarella, Fontina, Parmesan). Bake the whole thing for 15-20 minutes and then serve with bread or on a roll. Tired of the classic spaghetti and meatballs? You can mix things up and make meatballs their own main course with a simple but savory glaze, made to complement your rich meatballs perfectly: Bring 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup of currant, grape, or blackberry jelly to a simmer. Add 1/8 teaspoon allspice and stir in. Add the cooked meatballs into the glaze and turn to coat. Cook for 3-5 minutes in the glaze, until it thickens around the meat. Don't just freeze the raw meat. Instead, cook the meatballs in a skillet until the outsides are brown, then cool and freeze. When ready to eat them, heat them up for 20 minutes or so in 1/2 of sauce to finish cooking them and thaw them up naturally, leading to almost no loss of texture and flavor.