Meatballs with Sweet Pepper Sauce

Here's another family favourite.

Meatball Ingredients:

1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried mixed herbs (oregano, basil, sage)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsps. oil

Combine the bread crumbs and milk in a bowl, stand 5 minutes.  Combine bread crumb mixture, minced onion, herbs and egg in bowl, mix well.

Take heaping tbsps. full of meat mixture and shape into balls. Refrigerate to set while preparing pepper sauce.

Sweet Pepper Sauce Ingredients:

1 tbsp. oil
1 small onion, diced
2 peppers, diced (green, red or yellow)
2 stalks celery diced (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp beef stock powder or beef bouillon concentrate (Bovril)
1 cup water
3-4 basil leaves (optional)

Heat oil in a saucepan.  Add onion, peppers and celery. Cook until onion is translucent.  Stir in paprika, tomato paste, beef stock and water. Heat and stir until well combined.

In a 4 cup capacity dutch oven, or other pan that can go from stovetop to oven, heat oil and add meatballs.  Cook, shaking pan occasionally until meatballs are lightly browned.  Top with sweet pepper sauce.

Bake, covered, in a 375F oven for 30 -35 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Makes enough for 4
Not suitable to freeze