Oven Browning

• Just as the top of a baked meatloaf becomes golden brown, meatballs also become brown when baked in the oven. This method reduces your work because you don't have to stand over a hot pan of oil tending the meatballs. It also creates less mess and a healthier finished product. Simply place meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until browned and cooked through.

Potential Drawbacks

• The only advantage to browning meatballs on the stove in a pan of oil is that they stay slightly rounder. Browning them in the oven causes the bottoms of the meatballs to flatten a bit. Unless you're serving meatballs alone with no sauce or accompaniment, though, no one's likely to notice. When added to spaghetti sauce, sweet and sour sauce or served in sandwiches, the slight imperfection is almost invisible.

Cooking Tips

• One of the secrets to making delicious meatballs is to use day-old bread crumbs soaked in milk. Immigrant families often used this strategy to stretch meat to feed a large brood. You might appreciate the budget-friendly aspects of meatballs, but the main reason you use soaked bread crumbs is to keep the meatballs tender. An ideal ratio is one part ground meat to one part bread crumbs. Add your seasonings and you're done.

Serving Suggestions

• Oven-baked meatballs make a fast, inexpensive appetizer sure to please large groups and small gatherings alike. Combine grape jelly and barbecue sauce for a quick and inexpensive glaze or add meatballs to marinara sauce and pasta for a complete meal. Meatball subs never go out of style. Spread sauteed onions and peppers, marinara sauce and Provolone cheese over meatballs and rolls, and toast the combination until the cheese melts. Once you've browned meatballs, they can be refrigerated for up to two days for later use, or chilled and tossed in a freezer for up to six months. You also can put them in a slow cooker with a sauce for a hearty meal that's ready when you are.