Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Soup

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup boneless cooked chicken breast (baked or boiled and chopped into shreds)
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups escarole or spinach, torn into small pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup pastina pasta or acini di pepe pasta
• parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

1. 1

   Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. 2

   Mix all ingredients together.

3. 3

   Form into very small balls (I get approximately 90 meatballs from 1 pound ground beef. I bake mine on a nonstick cookie sheet and turn them half-way through the cooking time).

4. 4

   Bake about 10-15 minutes, until the meatballs have browned but are still soft (watch closely).

5. 5

   Remove from oven and drain on paper towel, if necessary.

6. 6

   Soup: Place all of the ingredients, except the pasta and escarole or spinach, into the crock pot with meatballs.

7. 7

   Cook on low for 8 hours (Add pasta and escarole or spinach during the last hour of cooking and salt to taste, if necessary).

8. 8

   Remove bay leaves.

9. 9

   Top each serving with grated parmesan or romano cheese.

10. 10

    Note: The meatballs must be prepared before being put into the crock pot (make them the night before and put them in the refrigerator, or even keep a batch in the freezer. I basically prepare as much as I can in advance so all I have to do is just put it all in the crock pot in the morning).