Mom's Eggplant Meatballs

Everyone has their own favorite meatball recipe. It's really a matter of taste. My mom and my mother-in-law's meatballs were so different, in both taste and texture. Of course, I liked my Mom's better. It's what I grew up on. Once in a while, Mom would enhance the taste of her meatballs with eggplant and golden raisins.....a real treat.

Mom's Eggplant Meatballs

• 1 lb chopped meat, (a mix of beef, veal and pork),
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup 4C Italian Flavored Bread Crumbs
• 1/4 cup water (approximately)
• parsley
• garlic powder
• 2 tbs grated cheese
• 1 small eggplant. skinned, cubed, boiled, drained and cooled
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tbs pine nuts (optional)

Prepare the eggplant in advance. Skin and cube the eggplant. Boil cubes in 1 cup of salted water until tender. Drain in a colander. Make sure that you squeeze as much water from the cooked eggplant as you can. Cover and chill.

Mix all of the ingredients together adding the water a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency to form meatballs. You might have to add a little more bread crumbs or water as needed. Shape the meatballs to the desired size. Place on a cookie sheet (sprayed with Pam) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Remove them from the cookie sheet and put them in a casserole dish and add sauce and a sprinkle of grated cheese over the top. There a little more delicate that a regular meatball so serve them separately on the side of your pasta.

** These meatballs are great right out of the oven without sauce.