Cheesy Meatballs
These Cheesy Meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella and make a great easy appetizer.
Servings: 32 1-inch balls
Calories: 70kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork and/or veal)
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mozzarella, grated or 4-5 mozzarella cheese sticks cut into 8 pieces each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 28 ounce can tomato purée
- cooked spaghetti, hoagies or french rolls for serving
Instructions
- Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl and using a spoon or your hands, mix to combine.
- Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop or spoon, portion our meat balls on parchment or a plate. Using damp hands, place a meatball in your palm, flatten the center and place mozzarella in the middle. Pinch sides around the cheese to cover and roll into balls. Alternatively mozzarella can be stirred into the mixture.
- Heat a large pot over low to medium heat, add olive oil and sauté garlic for 2 minutes or until just starting to turn golden.
- Add the tomato puree and cook for 10 minutes.
- One at a time, place the meatballs gently into the sauce, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through and cheese is melted.
- Serve with toothpicks on a plate, over spaghetti or in a hoagie.
Notes
- Keeping your hands moist will help the mixture not stick to your hands when you're forming the meatballs. Don't be afraid to get a little messy!
- If you wanted, instead of filling them with shredded mozzarella, you could cut mozzarella cheese sticks into small pieces and use that instead.
- Feel free to use gluten free breadcrumbs if you need to!
Nutrition
Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg