Ideas for the Costco bread packs...

I know, I know...yet again it's been a while since my last post. However, I did start a new job and managed to catch some sinus cold!

I did find and tried a very easy meatball sandwich recipe which turned out REALLY yummy! My husband had bought these long baguettes (similar to french bread) from Costco, and naturally everything from Costco comes in super packs. So, we were trying to find things to use the bread with before they went bad. So, on top of making roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, we made meatball sandwiches, and homemade pizza's!

Here's the recipes for the meatball sandwiches (found on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 French baguette
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pinch salt, or to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 4 slices provolone cheese - we used mozzarella instead ;-)
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, gently mix by hand the ground beef, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Shape into 12 meatballs, and place in a baking dish.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut the baguette in half lengthwise, and remove some of the bread from the inside to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil, and season with garlic powder and salt. Slip the baguette into the oven during the last 5 minutes of the meatball's time, or until lightly toasted.
4. While the bread toasts, warm the spaghetti sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. When the meatballs are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the sauce. Spoon onto the baguette and top with slices of provolone cheese. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese. Cool slightly, cut into servings, and enjoy!

***ONE NOTE*** Try to make your meatballs on the smaller side, otherwise they'll roll right off the bread!

The Pizza was originally my idea, but my wonderful husband executed this one.

All we did was toast the bread with a little bit of olive oil and italian seasoning and some garlic powder in the oven (similar to the toasting done in the meatball sandwich recipe above). Then you warm up some spaghetti sauce (either microwave or stovetop). Then you spread a thin layer of the spaghetti sauce on the pre-toasted bread and then layer mozzarella cheese on top and place back in the oven long enough for the cheese to melt. Naturally, you can grab whatever toppings fit your fancy with this one!

Both of these recipes are quick and easy and allow for either a small snack or they can be a complete meal!