Dynamites

I think the best recipes are ones that are nostalgic. Everyone has recipes that they remember their parents or grandparents cooking and just the smell of it floods back good memories. I have all sorts of dishes that remind me of certain people and certain occasions and that's the greatest thing about cooking. Because of this, I don't think there are many things in the world that are embedded with more love than a handwritten recipe book by a grandmother. It's the coolest thing to read through someone's old recipe books (stains, chicken scratch and all) and see favorite meals so many people have enjoyed.

A recipe that my boyfriend's dad's mom frequently cooked for them growing up on Peak's Island in Maine is Dynamites. They're budget friendly, slow cooked, packed with veggies, protein and FLAVOR. This is a classic recipe cooked in Maine and is also known well in Rhode Island. The version my boyfriend's grammy made was a vegetable medley simmering for 2 1/2 hours in a tomato sauce, then homemade meatballs simmering in the sauce for another hour. The result is the most comforting, rustic, heartwarming, and delicious meatball sub in a thick and chunky sauce..... And the best part is it's totally okay to load up a roll overflowing with sauce and eat the sloppy thing with a fork. All that bun soakin up all that sauce..... Mmmmmm

I made this on a Sunday and ate the leftovers nearly every day of the week for dinner. I looked forward to it every time. It's just as good if not better leftover, as the meatballs have soaked up all the sauce and the flavors have blended. With a handful of parmesan atop the sub, there is seriously nothing better. It's the best comfort food for a winter night and it felt nostalgic to me even though I had never had one before!

Just looking at these is making me crave leftovers so hard.... I'll have to be trying more recipes from Charlie's Grammy's recipe book asap because she sure knows her stuff! Check out a copy of her hand written recipe - if only it had the date on it!

I made only slight changes to the recipe to include Italian seasoning and fresh garlic. To make the meatballs, the recipe I've written below calls for half beef and half ground spicy Italian sausage. It's a simple way to add even more flavor and the meatballs were delicious. I'll even give my boyfriend credit for the idea... Sometimes I guess he thinks of decent things. I also use a bit more meat in my recipe because Charlie and I prefer to have our subs loaded with meatballs. It ends up being a good ratio of sauce to meat.

Overall these were one of my favorite things I've cooked/eaten in a while. You really can't beat these flavors - it's the most satisfying dish! It looks like this recipe will definitely be staying in the family for a looooooong time!






Dynamites 

Ingredients:
1 bunch of celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
12 oz can tomato paste
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp italian seasoning
4 cups stale bread
1/2 cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage (spicy or sweet)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
Additional parmesan for serving
Hot dog buns/sub rolls for serving

Directions:

• Heat a splash of oil over medium heat and add celery. Saute for a minute or two and add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Cover with 5 cups of water - make sure the celery is fully covered but shouldn't be all completely floating. 
• Simmer for ten minutes then add the onions, peppers, tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours - a low simmer.
• In the meantime make the meatballs. Soak the bread in the milk to moisten. Add the beef and sausage, salt, pepper, eggs and parmesan cheese. Shape into 1 1/2" balls. 
• Increase heat on the sauce so it's at a more steady simmer and add the meatballs. Cover and cook for another hour. 
• Serve hot over hotdog buns or sub rolls and top with parmesan cheese.