These Meatballs in Bacon & Onion Gravy are a crowd pleaser and is one to get the family round the dinner table for. Super simple to make, and easily customised to suit the kids too.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
450
Potatoes
1
Italian Style Herbs
Dried Italian Herbs
10
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains Cereals containing gluten)
120
Pork Mince
120
Beef Mince
½
Red Onion
30
Mature Cheddar Cheese
(Contains Milk)
60
Bacon Lardons
200
Broccoli Florets
10
Chicken Stock Paste
25
Redcurrant Jelly
125
Water for the Sauce
2
Water for the Breadcrumbs
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Bring a large saucepan of water with 1/2 tsp of salt to the boil. Chop the potatoes into 2cm chunks (peel first if you prefer). When boiling, add the potatoes to the water and cook until you can easily slip a knife through, 15-20 mins. When cooked, drain in a colander and return to the pan, off the heat.
Meanwhile, put the Italian herbs and panko breadcrumbs into a large bowl. Add the water for the meatballs (see ingredients for amount) and mix together. Add the pork and beef mince, then season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix everything together until very well combined. Form the mixture into evenly sized balls, 5 per person. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands after handling raw meat.
Pop the meatballs onto a large baking tray and drizzle with oil. Bake on the top shelf of your oven until browned on the outside and cooked through, 12-15 mins. IMPORTANT: The meatballs are cooked when no longer pink in the middle. In the meantime, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the onion and bacon lardons. Cook until the lardons are golden and the onion is soft, 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands after handling raw meat. Cook lardons thoroughly.
Stir the water for the sauce (see ingredients for amount) and the chicken stock paste into the pan, then lower the heat. Simmer until reduced by about half, 4-5 mins. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil on high heat with 1/2 tsp salt for the broccoli. Grate the cheese. Mash the potatoes then stir in the grated cheese. TIP: Add a splash of milk and a knob of butter if you have it. Season to taste. Keep warm with the lid on.
Halve any large broccoli florets. When the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cook until just tender, 3-5 mins. Once cooked, drain in the colander.
Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the redcurrant jelly. Increase the heat and bubble the sauce until it is glossy and has thickened slightly, 1-2 mins. Share the mash between your plates and serve the broccoli florets alongside. Pop the meatballs on top of the mash and finish with a generous helping of gravy. Enjoy!