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{This post is sponsoredย by Disney!}ย
Giant + Mini Spaghetti and Meatballs!
Hey guys! Happy December 1st! I wanted to kick off the best month of the year with a classic recipe that everyone loves. Actually, I think this is one of the most classic cozy meals there is. Who doesnโt love a plate of spaghetti and meatballs? Itโs the perfect any night family meal. Itโs also possibly one of my brother Creightonโs favorite dinners.
This is another one of those recipes that I always make around Christmas time when my family is town. Itโs simple, quick, and can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. Plus, everyone seems to truly love the meal. I think thereโs something about the combo of pasta, red sauce, meat and cheese. It gets people every time.
Today Iโve partnered with Disney for the release of The BFG on Blu-ray, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere. If you guys have seen or heard anything about this movie, than you may know that itโs about a young girl named Sophie who befriends a big friendly giant! I donโt want to give away all the details because this is such a fun movie watch, butย this recipe was inspired by the Big Friendly Giantโs giant appetite, and Sophieโs mini appetite. Fun right?
I took my everyday meatball recipe and created one GIANT meatball. Then I surrounded it with a bunch of mini meatballs, which actually makes for a cute presentation. Give your favorite family giant theย exclusive meatball, and divi up the minis for us smaller eaters. Oh, and the minis work equally great as holiday appetizers for your next party!
When I told my little sister, Asher what I was working on, she insisted that we watch the movie while decorating the Christmas tree and eating our bowls of spaghetti and meatballsโฆor in her case giant bowlโฆlittle backwards there. It ended up being perfect because while this is definitely a movie made for younger kids, itโs still a fun movie for adults to watch, and once Asher got tired of decorating, she crashed on the couch and finished watching the movieโฆleaving me with a giant messย .
Typical.
Anyway, when I was deciding on a recipe that would best inspire the big and little theme of the movie, I wanted to create something that would not only be great for holiday entertaining, but equally great for a simple family movie night.
These meatballs could not be more perfect!
I like to bake my meatballs for easy cooking and then top them with plenty of fresh mozzarella and parmesanโฆthen simply add sauce and pasta! Yes, please!
So, do we have our dinnerย plans set? Movie watching and meatball eating? Cool, cool, me too!
Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup mozzarella, shredded
- whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Mix together the ground sirloin, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, olive oil and egg to a mixing bowl until just combined.
- Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, and roll the meat into 2 tablespoon size balls (will make 10-12 meatballs). Place the meatballs in the prepared baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside, but not yet cooked through on the inside. Add the mozzarella cheese and continue cooking another 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- To make a Giant meatball, form the meat mixture into and oval and place in the prepared baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the cheese. Serve with pasta and marinara.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Got to love a good pasta twirl! ๐
{This post is sponsoredย by Disney The BFG.ย Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!! 
}
Tieghan this is a great recipe! The little guy often requests spaghetti and meatballs, which I hesitate to make because it involves grinding various meats, then besplattering my kitchen with grease when I fry the meatballs. This is so much better – quick, simple, and really tasty. And hardly any clean-up.
Our youngest will be enjoying one of his favourite meals more often ๐
Hey Pauline,
Happy Friday!! Thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and taking the time to comment!
Can you freeze them-if so before or after they are baked?!
Hi Maureen! Yes, you can freeze them! I would bake them, let them cool, and then freeze them! Hope this helps! ๐ xT
Hey Tieghan!
Just wondering if I can use cracker crumbs instead of bread crumbs? Do you think that would work ok? Love your recipes!
Hi Jocelyn,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Thank you for providing so many delicious recipes. They are so easy to follow and prepare. My family loves them!! It has really changed how I cook . Eating healthy at home is the best. โค๏ธ
Hi Val,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was tasty! xT
I substituted ground beef for sirloin and they were AMAZING. My boyfriends new favorite. The cook time was also cut in half, so a perfect weeknight staple.
Hey Kelly,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
I made these giant meatballs and they were amazing!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe! I only added fresh minced garlic and fresh basil and I put them over Focaccia bread for a meatball sandwich ??. Mine cooked in 40 min all together @ 425*. Absolutely delish
Hey Erika,
Happy Mother’s Day! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed! ?xxT
If the meatballs need to be GF, what can I swap the breadcrumbs for?
Hey Joanna,
You should be able to find gluten free breadcrumbs at your local grocery store. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I made these GF. My local grocery did not have GF breadcrumbs, I just made my own by using GF bread (Rudy’) bread letting it dry then tossed it in the food processor. We couldn’t tell the difference. Hit!!!!
Hey Kathy,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Merry Christmas!๐๐