Meatball Stew

I love meatballs. Spaghetti and meatballs, however basic, is one of my favorite meals. That said, I am always looking for new recipes to make that involve meatballs so we’re not always eating spaghetti.

This past Sunday evening, we wanted to make a stew for dinner and couldn’t think of what stew we wanted. So, I simply Googled “Meatball Stew,” and this recipe came up. It was delish!! As always, we changed a few things…my husband hates mushrooms so we omitted and we added sliced zucchini for another veggie. Last, we added a clove of garlic at the start of the soup for added flavor.

Hearty Meatball Stew
from Giada at Home, Giada DeLaurentis

12 meatballs (uncooked)
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 Tsp kosher salt
1/2 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb large white mushrooms, quartered
One 8 to 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/3-inch slices
4 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch-long pieces
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 Tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 C chicken broth

Sprinkle the meatballs with the flour and turn to coat with any flour still on the foil. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Drop the meatballs into the skillet, spaced apart. Cook until the bottoms are set and brown, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible thin spatula, turn each meatball onto an uncooked side and cook until the bottoms are set and brown, about 2 minutes longer. Turn and cook a third side, until set and brown, about another 2 minutes, so the meatballs are browned and set all over. Transfer the meatballs to a large plate.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until soft, 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until the potatoes are tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!