In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. In a separate small bowl, lightly whisk the two eggs.
Add the breadcrumb mixture, eggs, milk, Italian sausage, and ground beef to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined. Avoid over mixing the meat.
Let the meatball mixture rest for five minutes to allow the breadcrumbs time to soften. Divide and shape the meat into about 32 balls, approximately 2 Tbsp in volume each.
Oven Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet about one inch apart from each other.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Once browned, transfer them to a pot of red sauce and simmer for five more minutes in the sauce. If not using a red sauce, add an additional 3-5 minutes to the bake time, or until they're cooked through.
Stove Top Cooking Instructions
Add a tablespoon of cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, swirl the oil to coat the surface of the skillet. Add half of the meatballs to the skillet.
Cook them, turning every couple of minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked through. Repeat with the second batch.
Once cooked, transfer them to a pot of red sauce and simmer for a few minutes more before serving.
Freezing Instructions
You can freeze this recipe either cooked or uncooked. I prefer freezing them already cooked so they can go straight from the freezer into a pot of red sauce and then just simmer until heated through. Cooked meatballs should be completely cooled before placing in a gallon-sized freezer bag and transferred to the freezer.
To freeze uncooked, place the raw meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze on the baking sheet until solid (1-2 hours) before transferring to a gallon-sized freezer bag for longer storage. Thaw completely before cooking.
*The breadcrumbs, along with the eggs, help hold everything together. While I have made recipes without them (see my beef kofta meatballs), they don't hold together quite as well, and the meat has a firmer texture, similar to that of a hamburger. For gluten-free, try using oatmeal, rice, or crushed gluten-free crackers in place of the breadcrumbs.**If you need to replace the eggs for dietary reasons, you can experiment using a flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water per egg).***I only use a small amount of extra seasoning in this recipe as the Italian sausage already has herbs and spices added. I mix this with ground beef, which adds more flavor and moisture. You can use different types of ground meat, but you'll need to increase the seasonings accordingly, as the texture and flavor may be different.
A note on substituting the Italian Sausage: This recipe uses Italian sausage, which has a ton of herbs and spices already in the meat. Because of that, these only need a small amount of extra seasoning added. So, if you substitute the Italian sausage with a different type of ground meat, make sure to increase the seasonings accordingly.
Mix-in ideas: If you want to take this recipe up a notch and make it a little fancier, you could try adding fresh minced onion, garlic, crumbled bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano). You can also try swapping out the milk for a different liquid, like broth or even some of your red sauce. And I'm always a fan of adding a pinch of crushed red pepper to just aboutanything!