How To Make the Most Addicting and Tasty Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Like many of you, I have a nasty habit of bookmarking websites for a later date that never seems to come up. “I’ll get to it tomorrow” becomes “I’ll get to it someday” which, ultimately, ends up being “I’ll get to it whenever.” To my surprise, “whenever” came during quarantine.
Cooking provided both a challenge and an excitement that I needed as I waited, and still wait, for this pandemic to officially end. My skills began and ended at the microwave. Over time, the oven, the stove, and even the air fryer became familiar to me as I continued cooking a variety of recipes that I now had time to master.
I started simply – easy things I knew I couldn’t mess up. Scrambled eggs. Pasta. Fried chicken. That last one proved a tad difficult as it taught me there was such a thing as too much olive oil… especially when you’re trying to cook something in it over a long period of time. But the more I cooked, the more I wanted to build a rolodex of recipes I could rely on if I were ever invited to a potluck or wanted to impress.
I remembered the bookmark I made on my laptop all those years – yes, years – ago. And, as luck would have it, I had a socially distanced potluck coming up. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try something new, as well as see how much I’ve improved during quarantine.
Granted, I wasn’t taking a total risk. If I had any questions, or wanted a second opinion while I cooked, I could always shout for either my dad or mom to step in from the other room.
I did have a lot of questions.
How do you mince? Do we have a grater? What’s the best way to peel garlic? Is this a shallot? Can we put this skillet in the oven? No, well then what should I use instead?
Despite being a bit too over my head, both my family and friends enjoyed the chicken parmesan meatballs. Since the most terrifying bit – making them for the first time – was over, now I could devote each and every subsequent attempt to perfect it.
Along the way, I changed the recipe up. I made it easier, cheaper. Not everyone can access stores with fresh garlic or shallot, nor afford it with every chicken meatball craving. I replaced these ingredients with seasonings (and my fingers thanked me for it). Also, cooking it in the oven took too long, so I fried them for a few minutes extra to make up for the thirty minutes of oven time I nixed.
As it stands today, it’s a great recipe. But even then, there are days where I like going off recipe. Sometimes the best foods are made, not by following what’s in a recipe, but what’s in your heart.
…And regulatory practices on how to cook meat. I’m not letting salmonella be the thing that takes me out.
