How to Freeze Meatballs

Americans love meatballs in spaghetti sauce, steeped in sweet and sour sauce or in a delicious sub sandwich smothered in cheese, but making all those meatballs takes time. Do not wait until the day of that special meal to make the meatballs. Spend an afternoon making a big batch of plain meatballs and freeze in food storage bags. The next time you have a craving for delicious homemade meatballs, you will have all the flavor with none of the work. Simply remove and thaw the amount your recipe requires

Things You'll Need

• Meatball recipe
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper/ waxed paper
• Cookie sheet
• Zippered freezer bags

Instructions

1. Follow your favorite meatball recipe to make a gigantic batch of meatballs. Form and bake the meatballs on a baking sheet. Remove the meatballs from the baking sheet and cool to room temperature.

2. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a single layer of meatballs on the cookie sheet, leaving space between each meatball for easy removal.

3. Place in the freezer and flash-freeze the meatballs. This prevents them from sticking together. Freezing time varies. Check the meatballs in 30 minutes. If they are not frozen, wait another 30 minutes.

4. Remove the frozen meatballs from the cookie sheet and place in a zippered freezer bag. Return to the freezer. Do not allow meatballs to thaw, as this will cause them to stick together when frozen.

Tips & Warnings

• Meatballs can be frozen before cooking if preferred, but require longer preparation time when thawed.

• Always flash-freeze meatballs in a single layer to prevent them from sticking together when frozen.

References

• Healthy Meals in Minutes
• Purdue University
• Michigan State University

Resources

• Meatball Recipes