Uncooked

• Mini meatballs can be frozen before you cook them. Mix up your favorite meatball recipe and use a small spoon to form the mixture into balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and toss them in the freezer for an hour or two. Once the meatballs are firm, you can transfer them to freezer boxes or freezer bags. Seal the bags and boxes tightly, removing as much air as possible. Label the package with the date and freeze. Because they weren't cooked before freezing, they may loose some of their shape as they thaw.

Pre-Cook

• An even better way to freeze mini meatballs is to cook them first. You can fry them in oil in a skillet or place them on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven until they're browned and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before placing them on a baking sheet and freezing them until firm. Then you can transfer them to plastic bags or boxes and store them in the freezer. By freezing the meatballs on cookie sheets first, they retain their shape better and don't stick together in the freezer containers.

Safety

• Freezing mini meatballs is perfectly safe, providing you follow proper food safety guidelines. First, use only very fresh ground meat, and clean utensils and cutting boards. Wash cutting boards in hot soapy water after you use them so you don't transfer bacteria to other foods. From start to finish, the meat should sit out of the refrigerator for no longer than two hours, so get them in the freezer as quickly as possible. When it's time to thaw the meatballs, don't set them on the counter top, which can cause bacteria to multiply rapidly. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave. Cook uncooked meatballs thoroughly and refrigerate the leftovers within two hours of serving. Heat cooked meatballs in the microwave, the oven or a slow cooker until they're cooked through. For best quality, use frozen meatballs within three months.

Uses

• Mini meatballs are handy to have around for a variety of dishes. Toss them in a slow cooker with a little grape jelly and barbecue sauce for an easy appetizer or make Swedish meatballs with a creamy sauce. Stir them into marinara sauce for a kid-friendly pasta dinner. Mini meatballs can be added to soups, such as minestrone or even casseroles.