On Grief and Comfort Food (or, my favorite meatballs)

I’m blessed to have the kindest spiritual director and coach , and we had a good, long chat about grief last week. She reminded me to do the things that are life-giving to me during this season—long walks, good books, time in God’s Word, cooking and knitting and writing a bit—and to eat well, too. Comfort food. Not junk food, but good food. Soup and homemade bread and spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sauce from scratch. You know, food that satisfies at the deepest level.

So here I am. With meatballs. These are my favorite meatballs, and I love having a batch of them in the freezer, ready to be added to a pot of spaghetti sauce or Italian Wedding Soup, or simply roasted in the oven and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. They’re unbelievably flavorful, with just a hint of a kick. L loves them, too, so they’re definitely kid-approved.

They’re even easier if you have a small cookie scoop. You just throw everything into a big bowl, mix it with your hands like meatloaf, and then form it into golfball-size spheres. You can freeze them in a plastic freezer bag or a freezer-safe container with a layer of waxed paper under the lid, whatever you prefer.

One batch of these makes roughly 44-48 meatballs. I consider this a double batch, and I usually use half right away and freeze the other half. Two dozen meatballs is just about right for a pot of soup or a pot of spaghetti sauce.

So make these. You won’t be sorry.

Favorite Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 lb. ground Italian sausage (casings removed if necessary)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and use your hands to mix thoroughly. Use a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop to portion out small amounts of the mixture, and roll them gently into balls between the palms of your hands.

To use in soup or spaghetti sauce: 15-20 minutes before serving, submerge in simmering soup or sauce. Test for doneness before serving.

To roast: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment, and place the meatballs two inches apart on the parchment. Brush lightly with olive oil. Roast 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Do not let them get overly crispy; you want them to be tender.

Serves 6.