Some nights call for comfort food that still feels a little fancy. These saucy Italian meatballs and a crunchy, cheesy salad with a roasted garlic vinaigrette taste like a night out, but you make them in your own kitchen. Most of it can be done ahead, so dinner comes together fast when everyone’s hungry.
Why you’ll love it
- Make-ahead friendly: roast the garlic, blend the dressing and form the meatballs before the busy part of the day.
- Hands-off cooking: broil, then let the meatballs simmer in sauce while you build the salad.
- Two meals in one: serve it as a main dish, or put the meatballs out on toothpicks as an appetizer.
- A lighter Caesar swap: creamy and garlicky, without a heavy dressing.
- Kid-approved texture: tender meatballs, and crispy chickpeas that eat like a snack.
Tips for the best meatballs
- Pulse the oats until fine so the meatballs stay tender and nobody finds oat bits.
- Use a cookie scoop so they’re all the same size and cook evenly.
- Line the pan with parchment for easy cleanup under the broiler.
- Watch them closely under the broiler. Brown one side, flip, then brown the other.
- Gently stir them in the sauce now and then so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Tips for the salad and dressing
- Don’t be scared of a whole head of garlic. Roasting makes it soft, sweet and mellow.
- Blend the dressing right in a mason jar with an immersion blender. You get less mess and it’s already in its storage jar.
- Dress the salad right before serving so the romaine stays crisp.
- For extra crunch, coat the garbanzo beans in oil and crisp them up in the oven or a skillet.
Make ahead and storage
- Dressing: make it a day ahead and keep it in the jar in the fridge. Shake it before serving.
- Meatballs: form them ahead and keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to broil. Leftovers in sauce keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Freezer: cooled meatballs in sauce freeze well. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop.
- Salad: store the leftover salad and dressing separately.
Ways to switch it up
- Serve the meatballs over buttered parmesan spaghetti for a heartier meal.
- Pile the meatballs into hoagie rolls with melted provolone for meatball subs.
- Use asiago instead of parmesan in the salad. Your recipe already allows either.
- Use homemade or store-bought pasta sauce, whatever you have.
Once you mix and form into the desired size meatball, I place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and broil them. Once they were browned I turned them over and brown the other side.
Meanwhile I put 24 oz of tomato sauce in a skillet to start simmering. Carefully dunk the meatballs into the sauce and cover with a lid. Simmer on low for 30-45 minutes {whatever is convenient for timing your meal out}.
Move them around once in awhile to make sure no sticking / burning is going on.
The Salad
The salad dressing takes some time with the roasting the garlic, so its easiest to do this ahead of time. It seems like a LOT of garlic, but trust me, its worth it! Just place the garlic, soaked in olive oil in some tin foil, wrap it up, and roast at 375 for half hour or until soft.
Dressing Goodies:
Place all the ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender, or regular blender, to puree it all up. My garlic was still warm when I did this and it made no difference.
You can also roast the chickpeas in oil as well, just throw them in the oven also until desired crispiness.
Salad Goodies:
FAQ
- Can I make this ahead for a party? Yes. Make the dressing and meatballs ahead of time and keep in the fridge. You can even keep them just warm in their sauce, and toss the salad at the last minute.
- Why oats instead of breadcrumbs? Finely pulsed oats soak up the milk and keep the meatballs moist and tender.
- Do I have to use a hand mixer? No, your hands work too. A hand mixer just keeps you from touching raw meat and makes cleanup quicker.
- Is this a Caesar salad? Not quite. It’s a creamy roasted garlic vinaigrette with a little honey sweetness, a lighter swap for Caesar.
This is the kind of dinner that disappears fast. In our house, even the salad skeptic fights over the last bite. Pin it for your next cozy weeknight or get-together!
Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette Salad & Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 head romaine
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup parmesan, or asiago cheeses
Dressing
- 1 head garlic
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 cup oatmeal, pulsed fine
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 32 oz pasta sauce of liking
Instructions
Dressing
- Place garlic cloves in tin foil drizzled with olive oil, wrap up, and place in oven at 375 for 30 minutes or until soft.
- Place all ingredients in pint jar and use an immersion blender, or regular blender, to puree until combined.
- Pour dressing onto salad at time of serving.
Meatballs
- Mix all ingredients together. Use cookie scoop and spoon on to cookie sheet.
- Place under broiler on high until browned on all sides.
- Then place meatballs in a deep skillet and cover with 32 oz of tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought.
- Cover and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy it while it lasts!
Product Links
USA Pan cookie sheet
Parchment Paper
Kitchenaid Hand Mixer
Cookie Scoop
Immersion Blender
