Does a meatball recipe actually qualify as a complete meal within 45 minutes?

Meatballs carry a reputation as a weekend project, which raises a genuine question for a list like this. A well-built meatball, ground meat with aromatics, binder, and some hard cheese worked through, can reach the table in under 45 minutes if the process is organized. But does it count as a complete meal, or does it need a side that quietly pushes the total time past the threshold?