Baked Cinnamon Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

Cinnamon makes a great spice for savory dishes, especially when paired with beef, garlic and tomato. The flavor combination is perfect in these baked cinnamon meatballs that also have a slight tang from sour cream/milk-soaked bread cubes.

If you like the cinnamon/beef flavor combo, you might also like these Homemade Gnocchi with Cinnamon Clove Beef Stroganoff.

How to make it:

Step 1. Start by slicing 2 slices of sandwich bread into cubes and soaking them in a mix of 6 tablespoons sour cream and 2 tablespoons whole milk for 10 minutes. The bread keeps the meatballs from becoming dense and tough and the sour cream adds a hint of tanginess that works well with all the other flavors.

Step 2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then mix together the remaining meatball ingredients:*

• 1 pound ground beef (90 percent lean/10 percent fat)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 2 minced or pressed garlic cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*RECIPE NOTE: I like to use a serving fork for the mixing, it is large and sturdy enough to mash everything together easily.

Step 3. Add the soaked bread cubes along with any unabsorbed sour cream/milk mix to the meat.

Step 4. Mash everything together.

Step 5. Form 18 to 20 meatballs using a metal scoop or your hands and set them directly onto non-stick baking sheets (there is no need to grease the sheets). Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.

Step 6. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven until shimmering. Add 1/4 cup diced white or yellow onion to the oil and saute for a few minutes, until they’re starting to soften.

Add 1/2 cup dry red wine, 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces), 1 tablespoon dried oregano and the baked meatballs. Bring everything to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Stir in 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to, sprinkle a bit of grated Parmesan on the meatballs and briefly melt it in the oven but this last step is optional.

More delicious meatball recipes:

• Meatball Salad
• Asian Beef Meatballs

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4.6 from 5 votes

Baked Cinnamon Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

Cinnamon makes a great spice for savory dishes, especially when paired with beef, garlic and tomato. The flavor combination is perfect in these baked cinnamon meatballs that also have a slight tang from sour cream/milk-soaked bread cubes.

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:50 mins

Total Time:1 hr 10 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cinnamon meatballs, dutch oven meatballs, marinara sauce

Servings: 4

Calories (estimated): 438kcal

Author: This recipe was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, cut into cubes
• 1 pound ground beef*
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the marinara sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup finely diced white or yellow onion
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan, optional

Instructions:

For the meatballs:

• Mix sour cream and milk together and soak the bread cubes in the mix for about 10 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, mix beef, parsley, egg, garlic, salt and cinnamon with a large fork. (I like to use a serving fork.)
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the soaked bread cubes along with any unabsorbed sour cream/milk mix to the meat and mash everything together.
• Form the meat into 18 to 20 meatballs and set them directly onto non-stick baking sheets. (No need to grease the sheets.)
• Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.

For the marinara sauce:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven.
• Add the onions to the Dutch oven and saute for a few minutes, until they are starting to soften.
• Add wine, tomatoes and oregano, then add the meatballs back into the sauce.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. (if using parmesan).
• Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle the cheese on and bake until it is melted.
• Sprinkle with more parsley for garnish.

Notes:

*This recipe is best with 90 percent lean/10 percent fat ground beef.