Mongolian Meatball Ramen

Who here can recall the song that goes ... "One of these things is not like the other. One of these things is not the same."? If you can, you are O-L-D like me!

But regardless, this recipe is going to be one of those things. Up until now I have used this space for gluten-free, "Paleo" recipes. We gave up on sticking to that eating plan a few years ago. We still eat many of these recipes, but we don't focus on staying within those guidelines any more.

And as such, the recipes I am planning to share here will not necessarily be of that ilk going forward. However, they are still some of my favorites and I want a place to keep them in case the bookmarks on them expire or I just forget the changes I made.

Today I'd like to share a recipe that has quickly become a family favorite! Wonder Boy is not a fan of ground beef (I have no idea where that came from) so for him, I typically prepare some other form of protein and only serve the noodles to him. He LOVES the noodles though, so it's really not a big deal that the meatballs are not his favorite - that just means more for his dad and I! And if we run out of noodles before we finish the meatballs, they serve well with rice or even zoodles (see! I can still twist things to be Paleo friendly)


Mongolian Meatballs

Stuff You Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp sesame oil, divided
• red pepper flakes
• black pepper
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbs Hoisin sauce
• 3 pkgs Instant Ramen
• toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

What To Do:

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, panko bread crumbs, about half of the green onions, egg, garlic, and 1 tsp of the sesame oil. Season with red pepper flakes and pepper to taste.
2. Mix until well combined. To form meatballs, scoop a heaping tablespoons of mixture and roll into balls. Alternately, I've been using this meatball try. It really speeds up the process of forming the meatballs and makes certain that they cook evenly.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil. Add meatballs and sear until each side develops a crust, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Remove meatballs from skillet, and add remaining sesame oil.
5. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and hoisin. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
6. Return meatballs to skillet and cover skillet with a lid. Cook until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
7. Meanwhile, boil the ramen noodles according to the package instructions, but omit one of the 3 flavor packets.
8. Once the meatballs are done, remove temporarily from the pan.
9. Drain the noodles, add them to the meatball pan and toss to coat with the sauce.
10. Return the meatballs to the pan, garnish with remaining green onions and toasted sesame seeds, and serve! Be ready for a flavor explosion!

The original recipe called for a lot more salt, both in the meatballs and by using all of the flavor packets with the ramen noodles. It was too much for us, but feel free to add it back if you like.