Meatball Meal in One

This meatball meal-in-one is a perfect old-school small-batch dinner, scaled for one or two with sliced potatoes, carrots, and four hand-formed meatballs all baked in a single 2.5-cup casserole. The dish is the kind of practical Depression-era cooking that makes the most of a small amount of beef.

The quick white sauce poured over the vegetables is doing serious work. It carries the milk and butter into every layer, basting the potatoes and carrots from below as it gently bubbles up around the meatballs.

Uncovering for the last 10 minutes is the move that turns this from soupy to dinner-worthy. The sauce reduces and concentrates while the meatball tops brown, finishing with a paprika dusting for color and a faint smoky-sweet edge.

Pro Tips

• Slice the potatoes thin and even, about an eighth of an inch, so they cook through in the same time the meatballs take.
• Don’t overmix the meatball mixture, gently combine just until uniform. Overworked beef makes dense, dry meatballs.
• Whisk constantly while making the milk gravy or the flour will lump and you’ll have spots of paste in the casserole.
• Cover tightly with foil for the first 30 minutes so the steam tenderizes the vegetables, then uncover to brown.

Variations

• Sub a half cup of chicken broth for half the milk for a more savory, less creamy sauce.
• Add sliced mushrooms or peas with the carrots for more vegetable variety.
• Sprinkle a quarter cup of grated cheddar over the casserole when you uncover it for a cheesy gratin-style top.