Taco Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 T. taco seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 c. diced onion
• 1/2 c. grated cheese
• 1 T. cooking fat

Combine all of the ingredients except the cooking fat. Using your hands, mix them together until a fairly homogenous meatloaf-like mixture forms. Cover and chill until ready to cook.

Measure meatballs out in 2-4 tablespoon amounts and gently form balls from the mixture. Set aside to chill further or prepare a pan for frying as follows:

Heat the cooking fat in a large nonstick skillet and place meatballs at least an inch apart in the hot cooking fat - do not crowd the pan! Fry on all sides until the meatballs are browned on the outside. At this point, you can cool them and place them in freezer bags and freeze for a later use, add to tex-mex pasta dishes, or bake into taco meatball subs! Enjoy.

• Yields: 18-24 meatballs, depending on the diameter chosen
• Preparation Time: 30 minutes