I lost my poor meatball...

I was humming "On Top of Spaghetti" the entire time I was making this, even though it had nothing to do wiht spaghetti and meatballs! I'm always on the lookout for "Eric Friendly" recipes. This usually involves the following: beef, minimal veggies, and basic flavoring/seasonings. I found this one the last time I was at my MIL's house flipping through a Family Circle magazine. It was good....not knock-your-socks off or anything but Eric enjoyed it. I think it needs....something. More kick or something. Maybe some red pepper flakes (that's my solution for everything!) But it's certainly a good base recipe. There's a lot of possibilities!

MEATBALLS & GRAVY
(Recipe Source: Family Circle Magazine)

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 pound lean ground beef (I used extra lean)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Cooked noodles and steamed spinach for serving (I did not include the spinach)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a rack on a baking sheet and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Form into 40 meatballs, about 1 level tablespoon each. Place on prepared rack over baking sheet.

3. Bake meatballs at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally or until lightly browned. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stir and cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in beef broth until the flour is completely incorporated into the liquid. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the nutmeg.

5. Add meatballs to the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with buttered egg noodles and steamed spinach.