Make the Meatballs:

• Combine 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs and 2 Tbs milk into a small bowl. Toss to combine and set aside while the breadcrumbs soak up the milk for approximately 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sweet Italian pork sausage, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 beaten egg, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp salt along with the milk-soaked breadcrumbs.
• Gently mix everything using a fork or your hands (you can wear gloves if raw meat makes you nervous) until everything’s fully combined, though try not to overmix as that can lead to a denser meatball texture.
• Line a sheet pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Form your meatballs by scooping out meat mixture using a 3Tbs cookie scoop. Then gently roll the scooped meatballs between your hands to smooth them out. Though if you like a more rustic meatball, don’t worry about rolling them.
• Place formed meatballs onto the lined baking sheet and continue to form meatballs until you’ve used all the meat mixture.
• Once your meatballs are formed, heat a Dutch oven or other 3 quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
• Add 1/4 cup of avocado or vegetable oil to the pot and once it’s hot, add your meatballs to brown in batches of 6 to 8 depending on the size of your pot. Avoid overcrowding the pot as that will reduce the heat too much, add too much moisture, and will prevent nice browning from happening.
• Turn the meatballs every 45 to 60 seconds to brown them on all sides. At this point you’re not trying to fully cook the meatballs, just get a little browning on them to add flavor and texture.
• Once meatballs are browned, transfer them to a clean platter or unlined baking sheet and let them rest.
• Once you have browned all of your meatballs, it’s time to make the marinara sauce.

Make the Sauce:

• Once you finish browning your meatballs, leave the residual fat and oil and browned bits in the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. If there is no oil left in the pot, add the extra 1 Tbs of oil.
• Add 1 medium diced onion and 6 cloves minced garlic to the Dutch oven and stir frequently for 2 minutes until they soften and become fragrant, adding color to the onions and garlic.
• Next add in 1 3/4 cup water, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot.
• Then add in the bouillon, 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high until the sauce starts to bubble, then reduce the heat to low to simmer.
• Next, gently add the browned meatballs and any collected juices in the pan they were resting in, into the pot. Make sure the meatballs are fully nestled in the sauce so that they cook through.
• Leave the pot uncovered and allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for at least 30 minutes so they get fully cooked. You can also leave them as long as 2 hours simmering on the stove. As the meatballs are cooking, the sauce will also reduce and thicken a bit.
• Serve the cooked meatballs in a roll with mozzarella cheese for meatball subs or over your favorite pasta with a heaping helping of the sauce and parmesan cheese.