Meatballs with peas

What else is there to say about a home cooked meatballs with peas, other than it brings so much comfort! I absolutely love cooked peas, especially when they are cooked into an almost stew-like consistency. Adding some delicious protein completes the dish and makes for a delicious dinner, especially on the colder nights. This recipe is super simple to prepare, very easy and relatively quick to cook with no complicated instructions.

Cooking the peas

There is nothing fancy or complicated about cooking the peas. The process is so simple and quick to put together. In a deep pot, heat olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for roughly 2 or 3 minutes until the onions have softened. Add in the frozen peas, two cups of water, salt & pepper and cook on medium heat for roughly 30 minutes until the mixture has thickened. You are looking for a stew-like consistency. You want some liquid to remain but not for the peas to be completely covered in water. Add in more water if you need to during the cooking process but avoid a soup-like consistency.

The meatballs

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Using your hands roll the meat into meatballs. Roll each meatball into some extra breadcrumbs. This will give you that extra crunch. Place each one on a plate or chopping board and heat up a large pan with some olive oil. Once the pan has heated up, cook the meatballs on medium heat for roughly four or five minutes on each side. The cooking time can depend on the type of stove you have so keep an eye out. Once the meatballs are cooked serve them on top of the peas. Top with some sour cream and chopped mint leaves.

Making the roux

In Serbian cuisine, we sometimes use a “zaprška” (roux) in our cooking. This is basically a simple and basic sauce made with butter (or other fat) flour and seasoning. Zaprška or roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, stirred until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness. Zaprška is used as a thickening agent for gravy, soups, stews and sauces.

Once the meatballs have cooked, use the remaining oil from the pan to cook the zaprška (roux). On low heat, add a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of paprika. Stir over the stove top until a smooth consistency forms. Transfer this thickening agent to the cooked stew and stir until it is well combined in the the peas.

This could be your new favorite 30-minute-meal! This easy meatballs and peas dish is great for nights when you forget about dinner until everyone is starving. The meatballs make it nice and hearty. You can also use store bought meatballs to speed things up even more! This recipe is also versatile because you can add any extra chopped vegetables like carrots or potatoes and even add in or swap out any herbs.

I hope that you enjoy these delicious and comforting meatballs and peas! If you are cooking for two, simply half the quantity of the ingredients or freeze any left overs for another time. Let me know how this recipe turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture or reach out over on Instagram.