This recipe is sponsored by Cooked Perfect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When the weather dips down into the colder digits, I love warming up with a nice hot bowl of soup.  Soup is a comfort food and I make it for any occasion that I can find. Lately I have been searching for recipes that can serve a crowd of people. The big game is coming up and we love watching it with a group of family and friends. I created this Italian Wedding Meatball Soup recipe so that I would have time to socialize and watch the game along with our guests.

I have been loving my pressure cooker these days as the weather gets a bit colder and football season is coming to its end. This easy Italian Meatball soup recipe will turn into one of your favorites because it takes minimal time, yet it is so flavorful. Your friends and family will love it!

One of the ways I save time with this recipe is by using flavorful meatballs that are premade and available in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Cooked Perfect Meatballs are such a time saver and they taste great. I love them because they are crafted using select meats, real cheeses, and savory herbs then flame broiled to sear in the flavor.  They also come in a variety of flavors including Italian Style, Gluten Free Italian Style, Homestyle, Angus Beef, Turkey, Swedish, Chicken and Italian Sausage.  For this pasta Italian Wedding Soup, I added the meatballs to the pressure cooker straight from the bag.

Italian Wedding Meatball Soup

Ingredients

Beef Stock (16 ounces)

Chicken Stock (16 ounces)

Small Yellow Onion (diced)

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Italian Parsley (chopped)

Fresh Baby Spinach (1 cup)

Carrots (1 cup diced)

Olive Oil (1 tbs)

Garlic Powder (1 tsp)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Ditalini Pasta (1 cup uncooked)

Cooked Perfect Meatballs, any variety (I used about a dozen of the 1oz. Italian Meatballs)

Directions

1. Set your electric pressure cooker to the ‘Sauté’ mode.
2. In your electric pressure cooker, heat the olive oil and diced onion until onions start to soften and become translucent, it takes just a couple of minutes.
3. Add carrots, garlic powder and continue to sauté for another couple of minutes.
4. Add stock (you can use all beef or all chicken if you would like) to the pressure cooker, followed by the dried pasta. Once the pasta is in the pot, add your frozen meatballs to make sure they are submerged. I used a dozen of the 1 oz. meatballs but you can use ½ oz. as well.
5. Turn off the ‘Sauté’ function, lock your electric pressure cooker lid in place, make sure your pressure valve is set to sealing. Set your electric pressure cooker to High Pressure for 10 minutes, via the manual mode.
6. After the pressure cooker is done, allow pot to release pressure naturally for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn pressure release valve to quick release.
7. Carefully open your electric pressure cooker and add a handful of fresh baby spinach allowing it to wilt for a few minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
9. Enjoy!

Cooked Perfect Meatballs are perfect for game-day appetizers or weeknight dinners!  Cooked Perfect Meatballs are so convenient to have on hand and the recipe ideas are endless.  I will be bringing you another great recipe using these delicious time savers in a couple weeks so be sure you come back and see what I have put together.

Win The Ultimate Football Party Package

Cooked Perfect is sponsoring a sweepstakes where you could with the Ultimate Football Party Package.  which includes $2,000 in gift cards to purchase a Flat Screen “Smart” TV, Deluxe Recliner, and Coffee Table, plus a Cooked Perfect cutting board, and 5 Cooked Perfect FREE product coupons!  There are also weekly prizes where you could win a slow cooker to make the perfect appetizer or dinner for game day! Visit Cooked Perfect.com/GameDay for entry details through 2/6/17.

Please share more of your favorite game day recipes with us.  What are some other ways you like to incorporate meatballs into your meals?

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Internet access and a valid e-mail address are required to participate. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., who are 18 years of age (19 in AL and NE; 21 in MS) or older. Promotion starts on 1/3/17 at Noon ET and ends on 2/6/17 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. To enter, visit www.CookedPerfect.com/Gameday (the “Website”) and follow the instructions. 5 WEEKLY PRIZES (1 each week): Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $63 each. 1 GRAND PRIZE: ARV: $2,080. TOTAL ARV: $2,395. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited. For Official Rules, drawing schedule and prize details, visit our Website. Sponsor: Home Market Foods Inc., 140 Morgan Drive, Norwood, MA 02062.