Recipe: Meatball Minestrone (using spaghetti, beans and corn)

Meatball Minestrone

Mini Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two rectangular pans. Mix all ingrediants into about 36 (1-inch) balls. Place meat in pan. Bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, cool.

Minestrone

28 oz. tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. kidney beans, undrained
11 oz. whole corn, undrained
2 cups water
1/2 cup water
1 TBS Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup spaghetti

Combine all minestrone ingrediants, except spaghetti and meatballs into a crock pot. Make sure to break up the tomatoes. Add the meatballs. Let cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 5-6 hours. Add broken spaghetti the last and cook til soft, stirring often. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.