Sally's Polenta with Italian Sausage Meatballs

This is a deliciously hearty and comforting dish—one of our favorite ways to enjoy polenta!

This is my attempt at recreating Sally’s polenta with Italian sausage meatballs that she made for us a few years ago. I don’t have her exact recipe—I watched her make the polenta, but not the meatballs—so this is my version of her dish. Still, I’m calling it Sally’s recipe because she inspired me. Thanks, Sally! ❤️

Note: this meatball recipe will make way more than 4 servings, but you can store in the freezer for up to 2~3 months.

Serve 4

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Ingredients

For polenta:

• 2C milk (I use 1% or 2% milk but you can use any kind of milk you have in your refrigerator.)

• 2C water

• 1 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1C polenta

• 3~4 tbsp unsalted butter

• about 1/2C Parmesan, grated, more or less as you wish! (optional)

For meatballs:

• 1 lb sweet or mild Italian sausage

• 1 lb lean ground beef

• 1/2C Parmesan cheese, grated

• 2 egg, beaten

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

• about 1C panko (or bread crumbs)

• 1/2C milk

• a handful parsley, finely chopped

• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

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Instructions

For polenta:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, water salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the polenta thickens and becomes creamy and smooth. Add the butter and Parmesan, and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   

   

Note: I've noticed that many recipes use only water, and some of them even say this is the only right way to make polenta... but I like mixing water and milk because adding milk will make polenta creamier and richer. I like 50/50 ratio, but you can change the ratio if you want.

For meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the onion, and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.

   

2. Once the onion is cooled, add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix together with your hand for 3~5 minutes, or until the texture becomes smooth and cohesive (mixing as you would knead dough). Form the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.

   

3. Bake for 25~30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and browned. (You can also pan-fry them if you prefer. I’ve done both, but I usually bake them.)

   

For sauce:

1. You can use your favorite marinara sauce recipe or even store-bought sauce, but if you don’t have a go-to recipe, check out mine in Grandma Ariko's Classic Meatballs in Marinara Sauce. There are so many ways to make the sauce, but this is how I usually make it. Pretty simple. After preparing the sauce, I add the meatballs to the pot and let them cook for a few more minutes.

   

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