Add different mix-ins. “Tennessee is a big pork state, and we make pork meatballs with raisins, pine nuts and a hint of cinnamon. They’re delicious.” —Bill Claypool, CEC, assistant director/executive chef, Vanderbilt University

Make mushroom-meat blends with care. “When it comes to mushrooms I gravitate towards varieties like bunashimeji, bunapi, maitake, king oysters and shiitake. They’re not as expensive as you may think and they pack a lot of flavor. In experimenting with 50/50 (meat/mushroom) blends, I’ve found that white button mushrooms gave my mix an odd dark color.”—Bill Desoto, executive chef, Restaurant Associates at the New York Times

Keep your hands cold, just as if you are making sausage or charcuterie. “Warm hands start to break down the fat while you’re shaping the meatballs. Keep two or three pairs of gloves on and then dip them in a mixing bowl of ice water. Plus, it’s not a bad idea to have your hands moist when making meatballs to prevent sticking.”—Dave McHugh, chef at Pavilion Dining, University of San Diego

Use the oven instead of the stovetop. “A lot of people fry meatballs or bake them in a very hot oven, but I like to bake them very slowly at a lower temperature and then when they come to temperature, add the meatballs to a sauce or braising liquid. That makes for a tender meatball. I also like to add ricotta to the mixture.”—Ryan McNulty, CEC, director of culinary development, Metz Culinary Management

Splash in some wine. “My secret ingredient is a cup of chianti. My favorite meatballs are equal parts ground veal, lamb and Italian sausage with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, eggs and parsley. The chianti dramatically rounds out the full flavor of that rich meatball.”—Scott Mash, host of the YouTube series POV Italian Cooking