Easy Pot Roast Meatballs in Grave

A little bit Beef Bourguignon and a little bit Pot Roast, but 100% weeknight soul food, these Easy Pot Roast Meatballs in Gravy bypass the need for a slow cooker and get dinner on the table in a hurry with simple baked meatballs tossed in a veggie-laden gravy, perfect to serve with polenta, mashed potatoes, or a simple side salad!

Course Dinner, Main, Main Course, Meal Prep

Cuisine American, Comfort Food, French

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 483kcal

Author Karly Gomez

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
⅔ cup grated parmesan
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
8 slices bacon chopped
2 small sweet yellow onions sliced thin
2 cups carrots sliced into thin rounds
8 cloves fresh garlic minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ cups red wine recommended: pinot noir
1 cup water
1 tablespoon beef broth concentrate recommended: Better Than Bouillon
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup fresh curly parsley chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, panko, and parmesan. Sprinkle with a hearty dose of sea salt and pepper and mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Form mixture onto tablespoon-sized meatballs (coat your hands in a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking) and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Mixture should make between 40-45 meatballs. Bake for 15-17 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside.
While the meatballs cook, heat a large, high-sides skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of grease, then add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and cook until carrots have softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine, water, and beef broth concentrate and stir to combine. Stir in the bay leaves and thyme sprigs then let cook for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the meatballs to the pan and gently toss to coat, then cover and let cook for 5 more minutes, or until the meatballs have a thick glaze of sauce of them. Stir in the parsley and the reserved bacon, then serve over mashed potatoes!

Notes

The meatballs only contain four ingredients outside of a sprinkle of salt & pepper, so they can be prepared, baked, and frozen for up to 3 months in advance. A great way to have a lot of meatballs waiting to be sauced!
When it comes time to make the sauce, if you're using frozen meatballs, you'll want to add them to the pan when you first add the liquids, so that they heat up appropriately in time.
I don't recommend freezing the sauce, so make it fresh the day you want these meatballs in gravy.
While red wine is essential to the finished dish, if you don't use or keep wine in your home, you may substitute it with more beef broth. If this is the case, go for a low-to-no sodium variety to prevent the dish from becoming too salty.
Since this is not a traditional pot roast or beef bourguignon recipe, feel free to play a bit with the ingredients. I recommend swapping the tomato paste for my red bell pepper paste!

Nutrition