I've made these meatballs a couple of times. They are delicious with spaghetti and make a dynamite meatball sub! I used Quaker Old Fashioned Oats since that's the kind I had, and I used Panko bread crumbs. The video instructions say to cool the mushroom mixture after adding the oats. The written instructions above omits that step. I followed the video instructions and let the mixture cool to room temperature before adding the cheese and remaining ingredients.
Color me impressed! I was skeptical that these could be as good as the real deal, but I stand corrected. If the mushrooms are chopped finely in the food processor, even the texture is darned close. I suggest processing the mushrooms rather than trying to chop finely enough by hand, which is tedious work. I processed a half pound at a time, and in under 10 seconds of pulsing, they were nice and fine. After making according to the recipe exactly the first time, I made only one small change going forward. Since the object is to try to closely simulate a real meatball in flavor as well as texture, I started with the onion. Instead of adding it to the browned mushrooms, I began by carmelizing the onion in the olive oil. Then I proceeded with the recipe as written. This lends one more layer of meaty flavor and gives a nuanced complexity. I'll definitely make spaghetti and these puppies on Lenten Fridays, as well as "meatball" subs. If they come apart when added to the sauce, it's because the mushrooms were not cooked long enough before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook until dry. Allowing a minimum of one hour for them to simmer in the sauce is necessary for the taste to meld and develop appropriately. The only way anyone would know they're a vegetarian alternative is the appearance, as real meatballs do not tend to be that dark on the inside. One other note, this recipe always yields 24 for me, (using a 2 Tb scoop) not 16, a fact that doesn't bother us at all!
If I could rate this on taste alone it would get a 5! These are great and the texture is amazing. I also like the colour mix in it. However these didn't hold together very well for me and I needed to cook them for an extra 5-6 mins in the oven to ensure that they didn't fall apart when I was cooking them in the pasta sauce. Chop everything very finely and add extra breadcrumbs if neeeded.
Yummy! I have tried store-bought phony meatballs & have never found one I liked. These are really good. They were time consuming to make, but I made a double batch, so that did take more time. I urge you to watch the video before attempting this recipe because Chef John is not only cool & has an awesome voice, he also has great tips for making the best meatballs. I chopped my mushrooms, as he said, to about the size of a kernel of corn, but wish I would have made them a tad smaller. I sautéed my onions separately only because I was feeding anti-onion eaters. I also used half eggs & half egg substitute made out of flax meal and water. This recipe is a keeper!
I made these for my dad for Father's Day. I used the food processor to get the mushrooms and onions nice and small; glad I did. It was amazing how much this recipe actually looks like meat. I used a small ice cream scoop just like I do for meatbalIs. I only refriderated a couple of hours and i am curious how much better they would be refrigerated overnight. I must confess dad did not get the full serving of meatless-meatballs because It was so good before I even put it in the refrigerator (had to sample) and then amazing after it was cooked ( had to sample). I will make this again and turn my vegetarian friends onto it. Thanks once again Chef John.
I love mushrooms. My husband and son do not share this view with me. While I was making the recipe my son came up and said "I am NOT going to like that!" He ended up eating most of the meatballs. My husband loved the recipe and is now making them again tonight (4 days later). Great recipe, thanks for helping to turn my family into mushroom believers!
#1: Delicious! Stayed together like a real meatball with a firm outside(be sure you flip often in the oven to crisp up all the sides) and melt-in-your mouth center. I used a small cookie scoop to get uniform balls. #2: Easy to make vegan! Replace eggs with a flax meal eggs, replace butter with a reduced amount of coconut oil, be sure the bread crumbs are vegan, and replace cheese with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. 1/4 of the recipe(4-5 medium balls), veganized and without sauce, only 185 calories!
This is the best meat free recipe i have found! i used baby bellas, gruyere cheese and egg beaters. Next time i will veganize it with vegan parm and a flax egg. i served it with red gravy for sandwiches and also made a glaze of angry orchard hard cider, organic blackstrap molasses, soy and pink peppercorns. both were excellent!
I am a vegan and you could have done this a little better by taking out the dairy.
It is quite tasty but I have to get used to the texture. It was a little different...
