Mama's Meatballs

In my experience people tend to have a favorite source for meatballs whether from a restaurant, their mom or even their grocer's frozen food section :p This is the recipe for my favorite meatballs inspired by the ones my Aunt C. made for my Uncle F., 9 cousins and any of the rest of us that showed up eagerly at the table for "Spaghetti and Meatballs" night. Her meatballs were always so tender and tasty. Eating at their house was as much about feeling loved as it was about being well fed.  They always made room for anyone who showed up at the door.  As a family of 11 to begin with, that is a lesson in hospitality that has always stuck with me.  Portions for everyone may be a little smaller, but everyone is always welcome at the table. Pull up a seat :)

Ingredients

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

½ cup milk

2 ½ lbs. ground turkey (or any meat)

2 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 T. parsley

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a blender (or food processor), place celery, onion, garlic and milk and eggs.  Blend until smooth.  Add contents to a large bowl along with meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.  Mix all ingredients to create a uniform mixture.  Form meatballs onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet with a medium cookie scoop (or use hands to roll into balls - I like how quickly and uniformly the scoop works).  Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked thoroughly.  Remove from oven to cool. Use in pasta, sauce, soups, sandwiches, etc. Yield: approximately 42 medium meatballs