Mushroom Meatballs - Vegetarian Dinner
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| cooktoria.com |
How about some vegetarian meatballs, people? You are probably feeling a little skeptical about these right now, but let me assure you – these Vegetarian Mushroom Meatballs are fantastic! They are super moist and have a wonderful earthy and nutty taste. You only have to taste these once, and they will surely end up in your “Favorites” list…
I cook a lot of vegetarian dishes, because my husband and I are trying to save some animal lives. I believe that people consume way too much meat on a daily basis, and, if we all cut back on meat even a little bit, it would have a significant impact. Plus, it’s better for your health. What are your thoughts about that?
Even a major meat lover won’t be disappointed with these meatless meatballs. 🙂
FRYING VS. BAKING MUSHROOM MEATBALLS
Let’s talk about the cooking process a little. Once you roll the mushroom mixture into balls, you’ll have to decide whether you want to fry these or bake them. I’ve tried doing both and they both turned out great. And while frying the meatballs does give them a nice crust, the baked meatballs taste almost the same, but they are healthier. So, I’ll leave this choice to you. If you decide to bake these, however, make sure you have these Silicone Baking Sheets. I’ve recently purchased these and I cannot believe I lived so long without them.
MUSHROOM MEATBALLS GARNISH OPTIONS
Garnish the meatballs with some fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese or some feta cheese. Oh, I love feta so much! Of course, I couldn’t resist topping these meatballs with feta. My husband and I ate them with bread. Dipping the bread in the Marinara-Feta sauce and biting the mushroom meatballs was AN AAAAMAZING EXPERIENCE!
WHAT TO SERVE MUSHROOM MEATBALLS WITH
Serve these mushroom meatballs with pasta, rice, quinoa, couscous, or fresh salad. I also love enjoying these with a slice of crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 20 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 cup quick cook oats
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 24oz jar Marinara sauce
- parsley to garnish
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute the onion in olive oil on medium-low heat for about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, increase the heat to medium-high and cook them for 10-15 minutes. You’ll need to wait until the water evaporates and then keep cooking the mushrooms until they brown nicely. Add garlic, stir, and transfer the mushrooms into the mixing bowl. Let them cool down.
- Add the rest of the ingredients excluding marinara to the mixture. Stir the mixture nicely and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, possibly overnight for the flavors (and texture!) to develop.
- When ready to cook, using a tablespoon as a measure, form small balls from the mixture. Fry the balls in a small amount of vegetable oil until they turn brown or bake them in a preheated oven at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Add marinara sauce to the medium saucepan. Place the meatballs on top and cook the meatballs in the sauce on a low heat for about 15 more minutes.
- Garnish with grated Parmesan or fresh parsley.
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