Summer Meatballs Recipe with Creamy Polenta & Red Sangria
- SK Carr
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 20
Our 4th wedding anniversary is today, and we’re celebrating by sharing a special Date Nite menu inspired by our very first dinner out as a married couple. We were gifted a card to a local Italian restaurant, and I ordered a plate of meatballs with polenta and tomato sauce. It was simple, comforting, and perfect, and it’s never left me.
This week’s summer meatballs recipe is our take on that meal, perfect for the season with roasted tomatoes and creamy polenta in place of heavier pasta. It’s the kind of dish that feels both nostalgic and fresh. It's rich in flavor, but grounded in the simplicity of real ingredients.
Be sure to check the Kitchen Notes below for our go-to polenta brand and a few helpful tips for making your own tomato sauce from scratch. It’s easier than you think, and such a satisfying way to use up summer tomatoes.
As always, we hope it brings you joy.
Dinner Details
Sundown Sangria
Summer Meatballs with creamy polenta
notes from the kitchen
A few quick to help you make the perfect summer meatballs.
1. Our Favorite Polenta
We’re team fine-ground all the way. A smoother grind keeps polenta luxuriously creamy. No grits-style polenta texture here (grits and polenta are not the same in our Southern kitchen!). Here's a link to the exact brand we love so you can snag it, too.
2. Make-Ahead Meatballs
Save yourself some weeknight hustle and assemble the meatballs up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. When you’re ready, just pop them into the oven and follow the recipe. (See our Make-Ahead page for a quick refresher.)
3. Fresh vs. Canned Tomatoes
We highly recommend using peak-season tomatoes for the brightest summer flavor, but a single 28-ounce can of whole Italian tomatoes works beautifully in a pinch. If you go canned, let the sauce simmer for 30–40 minutes to concentrate the flavors which about the same amount of time you’d spend roasting fresh ones.
4. Why Local Matters
We can't say this enough, whenever possible, buy your tomatoes from a local farmer's or produce market. They stay on the vine longer, travel fewer miles, and taste worlds better than most grocery-store picks.
5. Skin On or Off? Your Call
Love a rustic vibe? Leave the skins on. Prefer silky smooth sauce? Remove them easily.
Score a shallow “X” on the bottom of each tomato.
Blanch in boiling water for about 30 seconds.
Transfer immediately to an ice bath.
Slip the skins off with your hands.
Heads up: We may earn a small commission on products we’ve linked here. We only recommend the real-deal favorites from our kitchen.
Menu Grocery List
Make Ahead: Assemble the Meatballs
We love walking into the kitchen and knowing dinner is already halfway done. These meatballs are the perfect prep-ahead item. We like to shape them, line them up on a parchment-lined baking sheet, mist them lightly with olive oil, and refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready, they go straight into the oven. No extra steps, no extra dishes. If you'd like to assemble them in advance, follow step 1 & 2 of the cooking instructions.
video instructions
mediterranean dinner playlist
We paired this meal with a Mediterranean dinner playlist. Something laid-back, warm and vibey. It’s the kind of background music that lets you slow down, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy the evening. Nothing fussy, just a little extra ambiance to make dinner feel like a night out, even when you’re home.
Got leftovers?
These meatballs make an incredible next-day lunch. Slice them up, reheat with a little tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella in the oven, then spoon onto a toasted hoagie roll for a quick and delicious meatball sub. It’s hearty, melty, and honestly just as satisfying the second time around.
Meet Your Hosts
Hi! We’re Kevin and Kate. Husband and wife, food lovers, and big believers in making home the best place to be. Date Nite started as our way to slow down and connect over good meals, and now we share those menus with couples all over the country. Whether you’re here for the recipes, the vibe, or the love story, we’re so glad you found us.
Love this? Experience the full Date nite vibe Free
If you’d like to experience more meals like this one, we’d love to invite you to try three free Date Nite menus. The weekly pages we create for subscribers are seamless, interactive, and totally different from the blog format, designed to make cooking together easy, beautiful, and stress-free. If you’re curious, dive into our free menu set and see what Date Nite is all about. You can learn more here or sign up below.
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