OK, I'm going to start off by saying that your intial reaction will probably be "ew, gross!" (Especially you, Leah.) But my Irish great-grandmother (who I never met) always made meatballs with a few raisins in them. It's weird, sure, but I think it's tasty.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs ground beef
• 2 cups(ish) bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2-3/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 2-3 tbs oregano or Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-5 raisins per meatball, depending on the size

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the ingredients by hand, adding water if the mixture is too dry, or additional breadcrumbs if it is too sticky.
3. Roll into spheres or oblate spheroids (we use these two shapes to distinguish between raisin and non-raisin meatballs when we're also feeding people who prefer plain) and place on baking sheet (lining with foil wouldn't be a bad idea)
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Optional: After baking, the meatballs are ready to serve, but you can also add them to tomato sauce and simmer for another 30 minutes - this flavors the sauce a bit as well.