A meatball is ground meat rolled into a small ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, minced onion, eggs, butter and seasoning. They can be baked, fried, steamed or braised in sauce.
Meatballs are popular and budget-friendly, and can form the foundation of different types of great dishes. Whether making them from scratch (which is always the best way) or store-bought, meatballs are really diverse and work well as pizza topping, kebabs or even as part of a robust sauce with spaghetti.
We spoke to Chef Petros Madoda Cele of Gooderson Tropicana Hotel about the many ways that you can enjoy them.
Tomato and mozzarella cheese
The tomato sauce and mozzarella topping helps keep the meatballs soft, juicy and tasty
Wrapped in crisp lettuce with tangy yoghurt
This combination is best for warm weather as meatballs are mostly a winter favourite.
Ricotta cheese
Meatballs are best when coated in a sauce and wedged between the sides of a roll that makes a perfect appetizer.
Spaghetti and Parmesan
Spaghetti and meatballs is always a winner and relatively easy to make. The Parmesan gives the whole classic dish of spaghetti and meatballs a tasty twist. This is comfort food at its best.
BBQ sauce
This is an easy and delicious combination. The BBQ sauce gives the meatballs a sweet and rich flavour.