Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large rimmed sheet pans with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Using two pans gives each meatball space to brown rather than steam.

In a large bowl combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, parmesan, beaten egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and milk. Mix with your hands just until everything comes together. Overmixing makes tough meatballs, so stop as soon as you see no dry streaks.

Scoop the mixture into 1-inch balls using a small cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon. Roll each one lightly between your palms to smooth the surface. Arrange them on the prepared pans with about 1 inch of space between each one. You should get roughly 36 to 40 meatballs total.

Drizzle the tops lightly with olive oil. This helps them get a golden color in the dry oven heat. Slide both pans into the oven and set a timer for 9 minutes, then rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back.

Continue baking for another 9 to 11 minutes. The meatballs are done when they are deep golden brown on the bottom and sides, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 degrees F. They will feel firm but not hard when you press one lightly.

Warm your marinara in a small saucepan over low heat while the meatballs finish baking. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter or leave them on the pan, add toothpicks to the platter, and set the warm marinara alongside for dipping. Serve right away.