Meatball Minestrone

Meatball Minestrone
A Hearty One Bowl Meal!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb Ditalini pasta, cooked & drained
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 32oz can, diced tomatoes with juices
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
5 cups kale, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt
pepper

Cooking Tools
Large skillet
Stock or soup pot
Medium mixing bowl

Directions
Make your meatballs and pan fry half way cooked, set aside (recipe below).  In the stock pot on low heat, add; 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic and saute for a few minutes.  Add in the onions, carrots and saute for 5 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes, kale, and beans.  Stir and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.  Add in meatballs and simmer for additional 20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of cooking, add cooked pasta.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Serves 4

Meatballs

Ingredients
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, bulk
1 slice of Italian bread
1/4 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 egg


Directions
In a mixing bowl, add; milk and the slice of bread.  Let the milk soak into the bread.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well by hand.  Make golf size meatballs and pan fry in 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat.  Pan sear on all size and cook only half way done.  Add fried meatballs into the Minestrone soup and cook for additional 20 minutes.