Italian Granny Comfort Food

I've talked about my Grams before. My tiny little Italian grandmother, whose only goal in life is to feed all the loved ones in her life until they pop like seared sausages. (sweet Italian style sausage, of course).

In the spirit of what would have been her annual Easter trip to visit the her only granddaughter (hi! that's me!) I give you one of her "weekly standbys". An amazingly delicious standby.

Grams always called this meal of meatballs and green beans in tomato sauce "Rolls and Poles."

Start with the Italian Standards:

ground beef, garlic, onion, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Mixey-mixey with a camera shy egg, then roll out the mixture into just-smaller-than-your-palm sized balls and sear in a skillet.

 

Yum. You could just eat these, straight up and steaming.

If you want some more veggies in your life (or dinner plate!) go collect the rest of the team.

Marinated fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, green beans and some tomato sauce (Grams would have pulled a jar of her own sauce out of the pantry, but I'm a pretty big Paul Newman fan. That and I don't jar my own sauce. Yet.)

Steam the beans, quarter the 'shooms and um...open the jar?

Saute the mushrooms, then add the steamed green beans.

Finally, add the "rolls" (meatballs) back in with the poles (green beans) and bring the whole mess up to a simmer in the sauce.

Plate with a few marinated mozz balls.

Then proceed to have a full out photoshoot. I just loved this meal, visually, emotionally, oh and did I mention it was delicious?

I even shouted out: "Grams, I can't wait to have my leftovers!"

What? You don't talk to your deceased Italian grandmother while cooking? You are so missing out. Oh wait, you don't have an Italian grandmother? My greatest apologies. Well, at least you can make meals like mine did. Just go with the flow, oh, and you can lick your fingers if you need too, I won't tell. And neither will Grams.

Love to all,
~the "I might be a wacky Italian gal, but man can I cook some rolls and poles" Jess