Mozzarella Meatballs

If it's not already abundantly evident, I love meatballs. They are so very versatile and general pretty quick to pull together. Whether taking a classic Italian approach or perhaps riffing with other Asian flavors, they are always a weeknight win in my book.

For a bit of unctuous flare, I decided to stuff a classic Italian meatball with a healthy chunk of mozzarella cheese. Yum. A bit of Italian sausage and Calabrian chili paste also punch up the flavor of these meatballs.

Mozzarella Meatballs are also a fabulous make-ahead meal. You can bake the meatballs weeks in advance and keep in the freezer. You can also leave these meatballs simmering on the stove or in a crockpot all day long. It's a perfect meal to plan on if hosting a big family gathering throughout the holidays.

Mozzarella Meatballs

Ingredients

· 1 tbsp olive oil

· 1/3 cup onion, diced fine

· 1 garlic clove, minced

· 1/3 cup bread crumbs

· 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

· 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

· 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

· 1 tbsp Calabrian chili paste

· 1 egg

· ½ tsp salt

· ¼ tsp black pepper

· 1lb lean ground beef or turkey

· 1/4lb Italian sausage, casings removed

· 14 ½-in cubes of mozzarella cheese

· 24oz marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 425F.

Add olive oil to a small pan and sautee onions and garlic over low heat until translucent. Allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the onions, garlic, bread crumbs, pecorino, parsley, basil, chili paste, egg, salt and pepper. Add the ground meats. Fold the bread crumb mixture evenly into the meat.

Using a large ice cream scoop, form about 12-14 meatballs. Place a mozzarella cube in the center of each meatball and completely cover with meat mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Add the marinara sauce to a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for at least 20 minutes.

Serve the meatballs over cooked pasta or on toasted hoagie rolls.

Serves 4

Notes

Whip up a big batch of meatballs and freeze before simmering in the tomato sauce. They keep well in gallon-size Ziploc bags and reheat well in tomato sauce.

Gluten Free Friendly!

Substitute with GF bread crumbs.