Bacon & Sage Meatballs with Buttermilk Gravy

Fall is here and so are the chilly temperatures, there is a bite in the air and the grill has gotten no use in the past few weeks. I got a dutch oven and I have been cooking warm and comforting foods, I love the change of seasons. This meal is a twist on traditional meatballs and has tons of flavor.

The fresh herbs really help this dish pop, so I would not suggest skimping on them. Sage is one of those ingredients that  has a memory attached to it for me. Every Thanksgiving my mom opens the sage and has me and my sister smell while we are making the dressing, the smell of sage takes me back to Thanksgiving week.

You can make this a complete meal by serving it over steamed rice and serving some slightly wilted spinach with it. This dinner will be ready in 30-40 minutes making it a great weeknight meal.
Source: adapted from, The Kitchn

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Milk
1/4 cup of Breadcrumbs, fresh- the quickest way to do this is grate sliced bread
3 slices of Bacon, thick-cut
1 lb. of Ground Pork
1 Egg, beaten
3 tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese
4 tablespoons of Sage, chopped
1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne
1 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper

For the Buttermilk Gravy:
Pan from Bacon/Meatballs
3 tablespoons of Butter
3 tablespoons of Flour
1 teaspoon of Thyme, dried
1/2 cup of White Wine
1 cup of Chicken Broth
1/4 cup of Buttermilk
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
First, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now, place the breadcrumbs in the milk and stir until combined. When the breadcrumbs are soft, squeeze out the milk and discard the milk. Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl.

Next, slice the bacon in half lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve pan.

Add the pork, egg, parmesan cheese, sage, cayenne, and salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs in the large bowl. Mix well.

Now, form meatballs into walnut sized balls. Heat the skillet from the bacon back to medium-heat and sear each meatball, working in batches, until browned on all sides. Place into a oven-safe baking dish.

Cook for 20 minutes in the oven or until the meatballs are cooked thoroughly.

While the meatballs are cooking, make the gravy. Place the 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet you used from the bacon and meatballs over medium-heat. When the butter is melted, add flour and thyme. Stir until the flour has browned and formed a paste, 2-3 minutes. Next, stir in the wine and chicken broth; bring to a boil and continue whisking until it has thickened, 2 minutes. Whisk in the buttermilk and bring it back to a boil, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the meatballs over rice with gravy poured on top.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife