Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have overlooked Spaghetti until now....Ross kept asking for it, but I kept telling him "it wasn't a new recipe, so I couldn't blog it".....but then I found this recipe!!  I made my own meatballs - and um, I'm always going to make my own meatballs!  These were sooooo good!!  I wasn't a HUGE fan of the sauce - it was good, don't get me wrong....but it was a tad on the sweet side - so I don't think I'll add sugar next time.

I cut the sauce/meatball ingredients in half since it was just the 2 of us - and it still made about 12 meatballs - and more than enough sauce.  I would say the full serving is for about 12 people....so even cutting it in half is still more than enough for leftovers :)

Italian Meatballs:

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb Italian sausage

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Gently combine meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to shape meat into balls and then rolling it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a broiler pan and broil until the meatballs start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).

Sauce:
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Olive oil
(2) 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
16 oz tomato sauce
1-2 Tablespoons sugar (to taste)
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of baking soda (to help neutralize the acid)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine well. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached--about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that's of medium consistency.

Serve over hot spaghetti with some freshly grated Parmesan on top.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare meatballs as directed, but divide the meatballs among two freezer-safe containers. Prepare sauce through adding all ingredients to the pan, but don't simmer; rather, divide the sauce among the two containers. Freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, place in slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, although you'll want to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it's not burning if you go for the whole 6 hours.