Using up the Pantry

Remember all these little jars of homemade Bruschetta topping?  I made three dozen little half-pints...I'm down to my last four!  Yes, I will be making many, many more next summer, I think.  I love this simple topping so much.  I use it instead of pasta sauce on pizza, noodles and in one of my favorite comfort food suppers.

Skillet Meatballs with Winter Greens

You'll need however many frozen meatballs you want (I usually make 10 at a time, eating half for dinner and half the next day as leftovers...so multiply based on however many your kitchen must feed), a little olive oil, Bruschetta in a Jar (from the big Ball Canning book), winter greens such as spinach, mustard, or arugula, and some fresh mozarella cheese.

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.  Take a nice cast iron frying pan, grease with a touch of olive oil, and toss in your frozen meatballs.  Place this into your nice hot oven and bake for 15 minutes or so, until the meatballs are hot, browned and nicely sizzly.

Next, break out your greens.  I like to use organic arugula or baby spinach, but it's also great with mizuna or similar mild mustard greens, sliced thinly.  After making sure the greens are washed and spun dry, I take the hot meatballs out of the oven and toss the fresh greens on top.  Give a good shake of the pan to work the greens down around the meatballs.  Top with the jar of bruschetta topping, and add blobs of fresh mozarella cheese.

Return the pan to the oven for another 5-7 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned and bubbly.  Serve up these delicious meatballs with a slice of crusty bread to sop up the juices, and prepare for a glorious evening meal of comfort food.