Can I freeze meatballs in tomato sauce?

Yes, you can freeze meatballs in tomato sauce. Let them cool completely before putting them in the freezer and store them in an airtight container.

Can I make the tomato sauce in advance?

Yes, you can make the tomato sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator until use.

How do I ensure my meatballs stay perfectly round and juicy?

The secret lies in the binding of your minced meat mixture. By kneading an egg and enough breadcrumbs into the minced meat, you perfectly seal in the meat juices. Roll the meatballs with slightly damp hands to give them a nice smooth surface, and then brown them on all sides in a good knob of butter. They don't need to be completely cooked through in the pan; they'll finish cooking perfectly in the warm tomato sauce for the last 5 minutes!

What's the best side dish for these classic meatballs?

There's so much you can do with it: you choose! The absolute number one in Belgium is, of course, a velvety, homemade mashed potato with plenty of butter and a pinch of nutmeg. But this sauce is also irresistible with crispy fries, a large bowl of pasta (hello spaghetti meatballs!) or even with some loose rice to perfectly soak up all the sauce.

Recipe Meatballs in tomato sauce

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If there's one dish that instantly evokes nostalgia and warmth, it's a steaming pot of meatballs in tomato sauce. This is truly an absolute classic of Belgian cuisine! The secret to this sauce? We let all the vegetables simmer gently with a subtle hint of balsamic cream and then blend the tomato sauce until it's velvety smooth. With this recipe for meatballs in tomato sauce, you're guaranteed to score.

If there's one dish that instantly evokes nostalgia and warmth, it's a steaming pot of meatballs in tomato sauce. This is truly an absolute classic of Belgian cuisine! The secret to this sauce ...

Ingredients

What do you need?

Quantity: 4P

Tomato sauce
1 tbsp butter
4 thick carrots
1 large onion
3 celery stalks
4 cloves of garlic
Thyme & bay leaf tied together
150 g fine slices of smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 jar of tomato paste
1 small chili pepper
Pepper and salt
2 tbsp balsamic cream
800 g peeled tomatoes
800 ml water

Meatballs
2 tbsp butter
1 kg mixed minced meat
1 egg
2 tbsp fine parsley
1 shallot
60 g breadcrumbs
Pepper and salt

Serve with mashed potatoes

1 tbsp butter
4 thick carrots
1 large onion
3 celery stalks
4 cloves of garlic
Thyme & bay leaf tied together
150 g fine slices of smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 jar of tomato paste
1 small chili pepper
Pepper and salt
2 tbsp balsamic cream
800 g peeled tomatoes
800 ml water

2 tbsp butter
1 kg mixed minced meat
1 egg
2 tbsp fine parsley
1 shallot
60 g breadcrumbs
Pepper and salt

Serve with mashed potatoes

Preparation method

How do you make this?

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Peel the onion and garlic and chop finely, let them color in butter together with the bacon.

Peel the carrots and chop roughly along with the celery. Add the roughly chopped carrots and celery to the onion, garlic, and bacon and let them fry for a while.

Add the tomato paste and let it fry for a bit longer.

Now deglaze with the peeled tomatoes and water, season with pepper and salt, and add the tied thyme and bay leaf, chili, and balsamic cream. Let the sauce simmer for 40 minutes.

In the meantime, mix everything together for the meatballs, roll nice round balls, and brown them all around in butter. Once they are cooked, set them aside.

Remove the tied thyme and bay leaf and blend the sauce finely, taste and season if necessary with pepper and salt. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a large pot.

Add the meatballs and let simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, fries, or rice, you choose!