Molly's Meatballs and Onion Sause With Hogwart's Fluffy Mashed Potatoes!

(At the Ministry of Magic on the morning of Harry's hearing, Mr. Weasley bumps into Kingsley Shacklebolt. They pretend not to know each other, but Mr. Weasley manages to whisper to him that Mrs. Weasley is serving meatballs for dinner should he wish to stop by (see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 7) from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook).

Okay, So last night I ventured into my first two recipes from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, and I must tell you it turned out great! Molly and those house elves sure do know their way around a kitchen! lol. Just so you know, I'm not a big fan of onions and this particular recipe cause for two whole onions, so naturally I was a little hesitant as well as excited about starting it. So I'm here to tell you, onion haters beware! this will turn you into a onion lover! this recipe is awesome! My whole family raved about these meatballs as well as the fluffy mashed potatoes. Upon reading this recipe, me being a garlic fan and all, last night I was like where is the garlic? surely there would be garlic in the meatballs! so I fought with myself last night, on whether I should add some form, any form, of garlic to the meatballs or mashed potatoes. So, me being a go to garlic person really struggled with this for about 3 minutes on whether I should add these things to the recipes, but needless to say I decided to trust molly.(you know, everyone has their go to item) I decided that throughout this recipe conquest I would follow the recipes the way that they are meant to be. So if it doesn't call for garlic, I will not put it in there ;) This way, I can truly tell you guys honestly what the recipe is like. Everyone must try this dish, the mashed potatoes are like those creamy ones that your grandma makes, you know the ones...the ones you can't ever seem to get enough of on thanksgiving. The meatballs with onion sauce has a sweet caramelized onion taste, it is really, really good. I encourage you all to try these two recipes and let me know what you think about them. It is funny, because my boyfriend over heard my mom telling my brother that it was the best tasting thing that I have ever made, lol. It was delicious, but she also hasn't had many of my meals before either ;) Both recipes were real simple to make. There was actually some drama going down at my house at the time, so I accidentally put the oil into the meatball mixture, so I just put a little oil into the pan and it turned out fine. This would be a good recipe to make during the week, also since it is easy and flavorful. i made mine with peas and carrots to go with my dish to complete it, but I 'm sure whatever you decide to add to yours will be great also. I will give you all the recipe down below. This is just one of those dishes that the whole family will love. Trust molly she knows what she is doing! Although, I am giving you all the recipes for you to try for yourselves, I strongly recommend you buy a copy of this awesome cookbook. It has food facts and tidbits as well as good recipes. Well, see you next week when I will be cooking Cock-a-Leekie (which is a soup) and Knickerbocker Glory! (a dessert) Happy Cooking!

(the green was my attempt at presentation lol)

Meatballs
1 lb. Extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup fresh or dry bread crumbs
1 Large egg
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoons oil

Onion Sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 14-ounce can chicken broth

1. For the meatballs, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix throughly.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet. From the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, and working in batches, fry the balls on each side until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a dinner plate.
3. For the Onion Sauce, add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and heat. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the flour, and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles. (Serves 6)

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
6 Idaho or russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.), peeled and quartered
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 25 minutes or until the potatoes break apart when pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes. Add the butter, milk, salt, and black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until the potaotoes are light and fluffy. (serves 4)