Wonderful recipe for meatballs in a red sauce. Simple and delicious!
How do you start off a post for an event like this...
it has me perplexed...
the pressure is mounting...
how do I begin...
what do I say...
when all I really want to do is...
yell...
BAM!
Okay so it's cliché, but I can't help it. Emeril is just too adorable any time he does it. Who amongst us hasn't imitated him on occasion when adding spice to our meals. When we're kicking it up a notch. It's how Emeril rolls. He likes spice, he loves garlic and in my world "bam" means something fabulous is brewing. Something hot and spicy, which are too words that describe Emeril, er, Emeril's food. Sorry, just sort of slipped out.
Sunday Supper has the distinct pleasure of bringing you a taste of two of Emeril's cookbooks. Some folks are showcasing recipes from his Kicked Up Sandwiches Cookbook, and some folks are showcasing recipes from Emeril's Potluck. I received a copy of Emeril's Potluck. I have to admit it's my first Emeril Lagasse cookbook. While I'm admitting things let's just state now that I'm a Canuck and I'm going to tell you a little secret about Canada. You ready? You sure? Our version of The Food Network sort of blows. I've had the American version of The Food Network and it's amazing. Worthy of a big old "bam". The Canadian version is lacking. I hate to admit we're behind the times. There's not much Emeril in my area which also blows. I'm telling ya, being Canadian can be hard. I love my country immensely but seriously we need to step up the tv and the cereal choices soon before I'm forced to move. Do not even get me started on the lack of cool stores here. I've never been in a World Market or Sur la Table *hug sobs*.  So when I need an Emeril fix I head over the Food Network website and browse around there. The dude has some amazing recipes. I'm happy to finally have my first Emeril cookbook. I've flagged almost every page, except the seafood section. Mini-me is allergic so we avoid seafood here. I'm really chomping at the bit to try his Penne a la Vodka Casserole. It's looks like sheer perfection.
I chose to do Paul's "Make The Whole Crew Happy" Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy. I know what you are thinking. You are all shocked Lunie is making pasta right. What can I say folks, I'm nothing if not predictable. I like carbs, they make me happy. I've never gotten on board the whole low carb/no carb thing. Unless you're diabetic I think eating some carbs is a good thing. It gives you energy. The problem is not carbs, people, it's TOO many carbs, TOO many times a day, TOO many times a week. Eat some at lunch to keep you satisfied for the day then have a dinner with protein and green veggies. That is the key to a balanced diet. I'm just not a fan of cutting out this and cutting out that. Life is short, live a little. Or in the case of this pasta, live a lot!
Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy
Ingredients
For the Red Gravy:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 cups chopped yellow onions
- 2 teaspoons Emeril's Italian Essence
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 20 cloves garlic minced (about â…“ cup)
- 2 tablespoons whole anise seeds
- 2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
- 4 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, pureed with their juice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence
For the Sausage Meatballs:
- 1 ½ pounds ground chuck
- 1 ½ pounds sweet Italian sausage removed from casings
- 1 pound fresh hot sausage removed from casings
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 4 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Base:
- 1 pound spaghetti cooked according to package directions
For the Garnish:
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Red Gravy:
- In a large saucepan or Dutch Oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, Italian Essence, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cook while stirring until the onions are soft, takes about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic and anise. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste. Cook while stirring frequently until the paste begins to brown. Takes about 5 minutes or so.
- Add the tomato sauce, pureed tomatoes, 2 ½ cups of water, and Original Essence. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
For the Sausage Meatballs:
- In a very large bowl, combine the ground chuck, sweet sausage, hot sausage, garlic, eggs, Original Essence, salt, and black pepper. Mix this briefly but thoroughly. Shape into about 20 large meatballs (â…“ cup each) and set aside in the fridge.
Putting it Together:
- Add the meatballs to the sauce. Do not stir until the meatballs float to the top. This should take about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir the sauce well. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
- Serve immediately over hot pasta.
- Pass the grated Parmesan at the table.
 
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Potluck, William Morrow Publishers, New York, 2004
25 of us Sunday Supper folks are giving away a copy of Emeril's cookbooks. So stop by our Twitter Party at 7 pm Sunday night to join the fun. You need to participate in chat to win a copy. I happen to one of the lucky ones giving away a copy. Details at bottom of post.
Make sure you visit the Sunday Supper crew to see what they have whipped up for the Potluck:
Sunday Supper NYE Potluck Drinks:
- Champagne Punch by girlichef
- Champagne Punch by Daily Dish Recipes
- Champagne Punch by Midlife Roadtrip
- Champagne Punch by Family Foodie
- Chi Chi Cocktails by The Messy Baker Blog
Sunday Supper NYE Potluck Starters:
- Spiced Nuts by The Cookie A Day Challenge
- Spiced Nuts by Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Spiced Nuts by Home Cooking Memories
- Spiced Nuts by Mama.Mommy.Mom
- Prosciutto Breadsticks & Spiced Nuts by Galactosemia in PDX
Sunday Supper NYE Potluck Dishes and Sandwiches: Â
- Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Paul’s Make the Whole Crew Happy Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Paul’s Make the Whole Crew Happy Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy by Craving’s of a Lunatic
- Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by Supper for a Steal
- Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by Diabetic Foodie
- Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
- Three Cheese Veggie Sandwich by In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
- Columbia Street Grinder by The Foodie Army Wife
- Columbia Street Grinder by The Weekend Gourmet
- Columbia Street Grinder by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles
- Columbia Street Grinder by Momma’s Meals
- Emeril’s Columbia Street Grinder Kicked Up a Notch New Orleans Style by The Catholic Foodie
- Eggplant Muffuletta by Mom’s Test Kitchen
- A Vegetarian Take on Emeril’s Kicked Up Sandwiches Tonkatsu Sandwich by Ninja Baking
- New Orleans Style Garlic BBQ Shrimp by Comfy Cuisine
Sunday Supper NYE Desserts:
- New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce by Magnolia Days
- New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding with 2 Sauces by Juanita’s Cocina
- Angel Cake Sandwiches by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze by Damn Delicious
Toodles and smoochies! xx
Conni Smith
ROFL!!!! BAM!!!! is right! I swear, I see his picture, and that is what immediately pops into my head! That and music....I loved the jazz band he had on his show 🙂
Kim Bee
Me too. I can't help myself. Loved the band. Such a fun show.
Michelle J.
Eggplant Muffuletta!
Kim Bee
Good choice! Have a Happy New Year!
Laura Hunter | Small Wallet Big Appetite
I know don't why but all of a sudden I am craving meatballs, maybe it is because my foodie friends seem to want to tempt me with these amazing meatballs from Emeril. 🙂
Kim Bee
Lol, we are little temptresses aren't we. Love a good meatball recipe.
@S_thirtymommy
The New Orleans Style bread pudding with whiskey sauce!
Kim Bee
Great choice!
Darcy
Sausage Meatballs with Red Gravy sounds interesting love to give it a try
Kim Bee
You should, it's delicious.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Lol as a fellow Canuck, I can totally relate. There are so many things we don't get up here - we're always a season or two behind on Top Chef, we don't get any of those amazing holiday flavoured candies & cookies and Food Network America IS way better than ours. Sigh...life's tough sometimes! But now you have this cookbook and can make amazing dishes like these sausage meatballs. Your photos have me drooling over here!
Kim Bee
I know right. Some days I think it stinks living here. But then there are pluses to it as well.
Thanks so much. I had fun with this one.
Eileen Grosss
these meatballs look fabulous! I'll probably be making the champagne cocktails in the morning, and maybe I'll tackle these meatballs for my hubby's New Years Birthday party!
Cheers!
Kim Bee
Sounds like perfection at your house. I love these meatballs. So good. Happy New Year!
Theresa
I want to make the Eggplant Muffuletta with a side of the Spiced Nuts!
@Tiza126
Thanks for the chat tonight!
Kim Bee
That's a wonderful choice. Thanks for joining us.
Donna O'Neil
New Orleans Style Garlic BBQ Shrimp @DonnaOneil
Kim Bee
Such a good choice.
Lois Martin
Emeril's Champagne Punch sounds perfect for New Year's Eve! Thanks for the fun #SundaySupper chat tonight -- and for the giveaway too!
Kim Bee
Thanks for joining us. Congrats on winning. Happy New Year!
Carol Yemola
I want to make the Sausage Meatballs with the Champagne Punch to wash them down!
Kim Bee
Now there's a combination I love.
suzanne Perazzini
Kim, I would love to say I agree with you but life is also too short to suffer from digestive problems. And the only way I know to sort out what is the irritant is to eliminate some foodss for a few weeks and then slowly add things in one at a time to see what the problem is. Even then it is not simple because stress can play a big part. I am at a stage in my life where I have said enough is enough and I want to try to improve the situation. Everything in moderation has not been working for me and I want a better quality of life hence some experimentation. I still love you and your food but it's not simple for some of us.
Kim Bee
So sorry to hear you are having so many problems with your health. But don't feel alone or like I'm saying it's simple. I have had my own issues for a long time so it's not simple for me either. I just don't eat things that irritate. It's why you never see wheat in my recipes. It's why you rarely see pork on my blog. It's why you never see alcohol on my blog. It's most certainly not simple. I'm not saying eat what's bad for you. I'm saying eat what works for you and eat it in moderation. My diet is one of the most complicated ones out there, and stress plays an a huge part in it too. You just need to figure out what works and what doesn't and avoid the stuff that doesn't work. It's not an easy process and can take months, even years to pinpoint each trigger food. But it's so worth it when you nail one. Then you never have to suffer again. Life is too short to eat things you hate. Find things you love that you can have. Trust me, 18 years of a life altering, debilitating illness has not been simple for me either. There's nothing simple about my life by a long shot. I just like to stay positive and focus on the good, not the bad.
suzanne Perazzini
I know you have some serious issues, that's why I was surprised to see you say you were not a fan of cutting out things and to eat everything in moderation. That certainly works for most people but we have to all take our own paths to health, as you do. But I must say I admire your positivity in all things - you are inspiring.
Kim Bee
I think if it's health related you have to. But for people who do fad diets it drives me nuts. I think so many people get confused and stop listening to their bodies. If you listen it tells you what to do and not do. Mine tells me not to eat pork, alcohol, wheat, corn, among other things. So I do cut things out. But not carbs, I really think the body needs them. I'm all for changing diets but I hate super restrictive ones. It's why most people fail. I am not telling people to eat what hurts them, I certainly don't. The point was to eat what you love, there's always a way around things. If you have to watch carbs there's noodles on the market that have low gi levels for diabetics. If you can't eat wheat there's rice pasta. If you can't eat pork, use beef. There is always a way to find a way to make a dish work. I don't think anyone thinks I mean eat what hurts you. It was a general statement saying to eat what you LOVE in moderation.
Kim Bee
Bah, I was so rushed when I wrote that. I'm suppose to be taking today off. But thank you for the last sentence. I'm a firm believer if I can adapt and live my life with my horrendous illness anyone can do it. I think it's all about finding a balance that works for you. You can totally do it Suzanne. I have some great links for tummy issues and some book recommendations if you want them. It's been a long 18 years for me learning how to cope and deal with my own issues. If I can do anything to help let me know. I'm no expert but I've learned a ton from my own experiences. This year more than any other in fact. The biggest thing is listen to your body and not other people. If I had done that the vacation of doom might not have happened. I let people convince me I could be cured. I can't be. I should know better by now. It was a good lesson though. Happy New Year. Hit my email if you want to vent, talk or some GI advice. Happy New Year! xx
Jennie @themessybakerblog
Cliche or not, I love yelling "Bam" any chance I get. It makes me feel like a bad a** ninja in the kitchen. This is some sweet looking meatballs and red gravy. Happy New Year, Kim!
Kristi Rimkus
I remember watching Emeril way back. He was always so much fun. Even better, I learned a lot from his shows. This recipe is perfect for the guys in my family. They adore meatballs of any kind. Have a wonderful New Year!
Jeff Young - The Catholic Foodie
Wowza! Those meatballs look absolutely incredible! A double "Bam!" for sure! Happy New Year!