• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Making the Marinara Sauce:

• Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the diced onion and sauté it for about 6 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Next, add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, and basil, sea salt, and season to taste with ground black pepper.
• Pour in the crushed and diced tomatoes next. Stir and bring the sauce up to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat slightly to a medium-low and continue to simmer for 25 to 30 minutes while preparing the meatball mixture.
• Once the sauce is cooked, stir in 1 cup of parmesan cheese.

Making the Meatball Mixture:

• Next, make the meatballs. Place the ground beef and ground pork into a large mixing bowl. Add the parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and grated onion. Either grate or press in the garlic cloves. Drop in the eggs.
• Season the mixture with sea salt, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, and parsley.
• Using your hands, gently fold together the ground meat with all the fillings and seasonings, creating a uniform mixture. Do not overmix or compress the ground meat! Poke your fingers into the mixture to introduce air pockets.

Assembling the Dish:

• Pour two-thirds of the marinara sauce into a large casserole pan (I use a 9x13-inch pan).
• Using a quarter-cup measuring scoop, measure a generous scoopful of meat mixture for each meatball. Gently roll the ground meat into a ball, then place into the sauce. This recipe makes approximately 24 large meatballs.

Baking Instructions:

• Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs and bake at 425°Ffor 35 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F. Insert a digital thermometer into the center of the largest meatball.
• Remove the casserole pan from the oven and switch the oven settings from bake to broil. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and about 1 cup of parmesan cheese over the top. Return to the oven and broil for 4 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Serving Suggestions:

• These delicious baked Italian meatballs can be joyed as an appetizer with toasted, crispy bread on the side for dipping. Garnish with fresh parsley and more parmesan cheese before enjoying.
• You can also serve them with pasta or make spaghetti and meatballs. Add extra parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
• If you love a good meatball sandwich, use these baked meatballs inside a toasted sandwich roll. Add more cheese if desired and dig in to enjoy!