Shortcut Sausage Meatballs

Asked by Geeky specs. Answered on 24th November 2012

Full question

I love Nigella's Shortcut Sausage meatballs from her new book and make it both for myself and the 3 boys I nanny for. Is there any point in the recipe that I can freeze it? Many thanks Jo

Our answer

It is possible to freeze the meatballs and sauce, without any accompanying pasta or rice. We would suggest that you cook the meatballs and sauce as directed in the recipe and once the meatballs are cooked through, cool the meatballs and sauce as quickly as possible then chill and freeze them. The meatballs and sauce should be chilled within 2 hours of cooking and frozen within 1 day of cooking.

It may be useful to divide the meatballs into individual portions before freezing, so that you only thaw as many as you need each time. Freeze them in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw the meatballs overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in a saucepan until the meatballs are piping hot all the way through. As the sauce thickens as it stands you may like to add a couple of splashes of water (or pasta cooking water if you are serving with pasta) as you reheat.