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one plain bowl of buttered wide egg noodles topped with exactly four fully visible separate browned meatballs, all four easy to count, in thick brown gravy with chunky cremini mushroom quarters cut vertically into four thick wedges per mushroom and soft onion strips, with no thin mushroom slices, sour-cream dollop, mashed potatoes, parsley or garnish
Rachel Kim

Crockpot Salisbury Meatballs

Brown the mushrooms before building the gravy, or their water will thin the sauce after it reaches the crockpot. These beef-and-pork meatballs get the onion-rich Salisbury treatment, with a little ketchup and Worcestershire worked into the gravy. Buttered egg noodles make it dinner without asking the slow cooker to manage pasta for two hours. Keep the noodles separate until serving, when they can catch the sauce without absorbing the whole pot. The meatballs should hold their shape under a spoon but stay tender enough to cut with a fork, which starts with mixing the soaked crumbs into the meat gently instead of kneading it.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 85% lean ground beef
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup finely grated yellow onion
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt for meatballs
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp neutral oil for sheet pan
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
  • 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for gravy
  • 12 oz dry wide egg noodles
  • 2 tsp fine salt for noodle water

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F and oil a rimmed sheet. Soak crumbs in milk for 3 minutes, then gently mix with beef, pork, egg, grated onion, meatball salt and pepper. Shape 24 meatballs and bake for 16 to 20 minutes until their centers reach 160°F.
  2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms and sliced onion for 10 to 12 minutes until the mushroom liquid evaporates and the onion begins to brown.
  3. Stir in flour for 1 minute, then gradually add broth, Worcestershire, ketchup, Dijon, thyme and gravy salt. Simmer for 3 minutes until smooth and lightly thickened.
  4. Transfer hot gravy and hot meatballs to a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, stirring gently once, until the centers reach 165°F and the gravy coats them.
  5. During the final 15 minutes, boil noodles in a large pot of water seasoned with noodle-water salt for 7 to 9 minutes, or the package time, until tender. Drain and toss with remaining butter.
  6. Divide noodles among 6 bowls and top each with 4 meatballs, mushrooms and gravy. Serve immediately.