Meatballs and Potatoes

Meatballs and potatoes is a comforting dinner of juicy meatballs and creamy Yukon Gold potatoes topped with a rich béchamel sauce. We've created a simple, homemade recipe with easy to follow steps. Perfect every time!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

Rest Time15

Total Time1 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Meatballs and Potatoes Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 359kcal

Ingredients

For the Meatballs and Potatoes

1 pound lean ground beef, I used 90/10
½ cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
⅓ cup plain panko bread crumbs
1 extra large egg, beaten
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley, I used curly parsley, but you can substitute flat leaf parsley (divide 1 teaspoon for the meatballs and 1 teaspoon for garnish)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
5 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and dried (or 6-7 if you have the smaller size) (you can peel the potatoes if you prefer, I left my skins on)

For the Tomato Sauce

1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

For the Bechamel Sauce

4 tablespoons salted butter, sliced into pats
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 ¼ cup whole milk, warmed to room temperature
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Topping

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Begin by setting your oven to 375°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. This simple preparation step ensures that your meatballs will cook evenly without sticking, making cleanup much easier.
Add the ground beef, finely chopped or grated onion, bread crumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, fresh chopped parsley, kosher salt, and fresh cracked black pepper to a medium (2-3 quart) size mixing bowl. You can either use a spoon, or your hands to knead the meatball mixture.
Use a 1 ½ tablespoon scoop to portion the meatball mixture. Roll the meat into balls and set them on the prepared baking sheet. Space the meatballs 2 inches apart. You should end up with 22-23 meatballs.
Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes.
While the meatballs are baking, boil the potatoes. You can peel the potatoes or leave the skin on. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Immediately drain and rinse the potatoes under cold water to not only stop the cooking process, but to cool the potatoes so you can slice them later.
Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
To make the bechamel sauce, begin by adding the sliced butter to a 2-3 quart heavy bottom saucepan over medium high heat.
Once the butter has completely melted, whisk in the flour. Whisk continuously until the flour and butter are completely combined. Allow the flour mixture to cook for about 1 - 1 ½ minutes. Keep whisking.
Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking constantly until all of the milk has been added. Keep whisking constantly until the cream sauce has thickened to just about the consistency of white gravy. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and nutmeg.
Once the meatballs have baked, remove them from the oven.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into discs approximately ⅛ inch thick.
You can use either a large cast iron skillet, 9x13 baking dish or a 3-3 ½ quart casserole pan. Generously spray your baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Line the bottom and up the sides of the baking dish with a single layer of sliced potatoes.
Place the meatballs on top of the bottom layer of potatoes. Make a circle that shrinks to a bullseye in the center of the pan.
Tuck the remaining slices of potatoes in between the meatballs.
Spoon the tomato sauce over the tops of the meatballs.
Spoon the cream sauce over the top of the potatoes and meatballs.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the cream sauce. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden brown.

Notes

Allow the meatballs and potatoes to rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. The meatballs and tomato sauce will release a bit of liquid. This rest period allows the potatoes to set and soak up all the juices. Serve hot and enjoy!
When baking the meatballs, keep an eye on them, and if it looks as if they are baking unevely halfway through the cooking time, rotate the baking sheet for more even cooking.
Insert a meat thermometer into the center of a meatball to check for doneness. The internal temperature should reach at least 160°F for beef.
If your béchamel sauce becomes too thick, gradually whisk in more milk until you reach the desired consistency. Conversely, if it’s too thin, cook it a little longer while stirring continuously.
For the best melting and flavor, shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese, which often doesn't melt as well.
For an extra golden and crispy cheese topping, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of baking. Watch closely so it doesn't burn!

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