Meatballs and ABCs

As Steve groans, I prepare another soup recipe. I can't help it if I like soup and think soup and rolls make a good supper. I got a cookbook at a yard sale a while back, the Working Mother Cookbook. Apparently there is a Working Mother magazine, and this cookbook is from those people. It has a lot of good ideas in it, like cooking a whole heck of a lot of food on the weekend and making different stuff out of those base things for the next week. I'm not sure if I'll do that yet. Depends how expensive all the stuff would be and if I like all the recipes. But they also have some stand-alone recipes like this one. Although this one does make a large quantity of soup, and you eat half tonight and freeze the other half to eat later. That's always good to have extra stuff in the freezer for quick meals. I thought the kids would like it too since the noodles are shaped like letters.

Meatballs and ABCs
4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed (I used homemade bread machine bread yum)
1/2 cup milk
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1/3 cup dry sherry (I did not use this...if you google "sherry substitution" you can find a few options for replacing it...I replaced by mixing 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water and 1 tbsp sugar, then pouring that into a measuring cup to measure 1/3 cup which is what it calls for...I had to dump the remainder out but it's not like vinegar is that expensive so it's okay)
2 cans beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 cup alphabet pasta or other small shape (they don't have this at Walmart, I got it at Hannaford)
1 cup frozen peas

1. In medium bowl, soak bread in milk. Gently squeeze bread, pour off milk. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, salt, and pepper. Add egg mixture to bread, then add beef. Mix with hands until blended (yecch I hate that but I did it). Form meatballs about 3/4 inches in diameter. You should have about 40.

2. Warm oil in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook onion and carrot about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring (it does not say how often to stir. I say, occasionally). Add sherry; cook 3 minutes more or until liquid is almost gone. Add broth, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, and 4 cups of water. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered, to blend flavors.

3. Carefully drop meatballs into simmering broth; cook 8 minutes. Add water to cover meatballs if needed (I didn't need to).

4. Remove half of soup (about 6 cups) to microwave-proof container (they mean Tupperware. If you don't have any, contact my Tupperware consultant, Rebecca Coffin. She's on facebook). Cool, then freeze.

5. Bring remaining soup back to a simmer; add pasta and peas. Simmer until pasta is done.

Reheating instructions: Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat in microwave or on stovetop. Cook 1 cup pasta separately; add with peas when reheating.

Makes 2 meals for a family of 4.

So usually I do not like homemade meatballs, and I expected to not like these. But, they were actually quite tasty. The soup had a very good flavor and seasoning to it. Half of it is going to be frozen, and without thinking I added the leftover soup that we ate to the container, which had pasta in it. If I remember right, pasta doesn't freeze very well. Well of course it freezes but doesn't taste good once it's reheated. So I guess we'll see about that. We had this with some rolls which I will post separately. Between the soup and the rolls I was busy in the kitchen all afternoon, which I do enjoy when the kids are being good and I have the time for it. But rather time consuming, so just be prepared. I think it will be a keeper.