Ground Beef, Italian Sausage, and Peppers Meatloaf Balls

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Remove the ground beef and sausage from refrigerator. Squeeze sausage out of casings and break apart ground beef into bowl so it can come to room temperature. Add 2 tsp. olive oil to large non-stick frying pan, add chopped onion, red pepper, and green pepper, and saute until vegetables are starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Decide whether you need to add another tsp. olive oil, then add the minced garlic, ground fennel, dried oregano, and dried basil and saute 1-2 minutes more. Turn off heat and let vegetables cool enough to handle. Sprinkle bread crumbs, salt and pepper, Spike seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder evenly over the surface of the meat. Wash your hands, then gently mix until seasonings are barely combined with the meat. Add the cooled onion-pepper mixture and eggs, and mix again, until all ingredients are well distributedDon’t over mix because that will make the meatloaf tough. Spray a roasting pan with olive oil or non-stick spray Use a 1 cup measure to scoop out meatloaf mixture and form into balls, then smash down slightly so they stay in place on the roasting pan. Whisk together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar and use a pastry brush to spread evenly over all the surfaces of meatloaf balls. Bake meatloaf balls 35-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer registers at least 165F/75C. I rotated the pan and basted with the remaining sauce after about 20 minutes. Serve hot, cutting in half if desired. These can also be sliced and served on sandwiches. The meatloaf balls freeze well and can be heated in the microwave, but don’t overcook or the meat will be tough.