Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 lb ground beef ((90% lean or 93% lean works best))
  • 24 oz jar marinara sauce
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup mint leaves (finely diced and tightly packed)
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Optional: Shaved Parmesan for garnish
  • 4 cups water
  • 1.25 cups coarse yellow cornmeal (or follow instructions on packaging for quick-cooking polenta)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Pour the marinara sauce into a 9x11-inch baking dish (approximately 2.5 quart).
  • In a large bowl, combine all the spices from the coriander to the nutmeg and mix well.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of the spice mix to the marinara sauce and gently stir to combine.
  • Add the ground beef, egg, and mint to the bowl containing the rest of the spice mixture and mix well using your hands. Form ~1 inch meatballs and place them gently into the spiced marinara sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
  • Carefully remove the aluminum foil after 20 minutes and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked. (Hint: make the polenta while the meatballs are cooking).
  • Make the polenta: Add 4 cups water, butter, and salt to a pot and bring to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal while stirring, and lower the heat to very low (if it is too high, hot polenta might splash out!). Continue cooking for ~20-25 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until cooked to your liking. I like my polenta a little coarser with some texture, so I cook it around 20 minutes.
  • To serve: arrange 4-5 meatballs and a few tablespoons of sauce over a cup of polenta. Add a few shavings of Parmesan on top.