Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

I had a block of mozzarella cheese sitting around, so I decided to stuff some meatballs. A lot of people ask how I come up with recipes. To be honest, most come out of necessity or based on what is left in the fridge. Mix and match and usually something good will come out.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Cut the mozzarella into 32 equal portions.

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients but the beef. Make sure to mix everything together.

Then add the beef.  My suggestion is to mix this by hand. Make sure not to mix too much as it will cause the meatballs to be tough.

I had a few pairs of rubber gloves lying around from barbecuing. They made cleanup a snap. I would recommend buying some powder-free latex gloves. Once mixed, portion the meatballs. I would use about 1-2 tbs of meat to form each ball. Using your hand roll each one into a perfectly formed ball and set aside. A cookie scoop is a great way to portion the meat so that all of your meatballs are the same.

Flatten the meat into patties, then add a cube of cheese.  Wrap the meat around the cheese and form the meatballs.

Place meatballs on baking sheets, not touching. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating trays half way through cook time.

When cooked, lift the meatballs to drain and then add to the simmering pasta sauce for 30 mins. You may notice that some of the mozzarella cheese may leak out the side. This is fine. The cheese gets crispy and adds a nice texture to the sauce.

Once all of the meatballs have been browned, let them cook in the simmering sauce for 20-30 minutes. They will absorb the great marinara flavor.

Serve over fresh spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

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Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

The Italian classic with a fat American twist!

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Rex

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tbs water
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz block mozzarella
• pinch kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Cut the mozzarella into 32 equal portions.
3. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients but the beef. Make sure to mix everything together.
4. Then add the beef. My suggestion is to mix this by hand. Make sure not to mix too much as it will cause the meatballs to be tough.
5. I had a few pairs of rubber gloves lying around from barbecuing. They made cleanup a snap. I would recommend buying some powder-free latex gloves.
6. Once mixed, portion the meatballs. I would use about 1-2 tbs of meat to form each ball. Using your hand roll each one into a perfectly formed ball and set aside. A cookie scoop is a great way to portion the meat so that all of your meatballs are the same.
7. Flatten the meat into patties, then add a cube of cheese. Wrap the meat around the cheese and form the meatballs.
8. Place meatballs on baking sheets, not touching. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating trays half way through cook time.
9. When cooked, lift the meatballs to drain and then add to the simmering pasta sauce for 30 mins. You may notice that some of the mozzarella cheese may leak out the side. This is fine. The cheese gets crispy and adds a nice texture to the sauce.
10. Once all of the meatballs have been browned, let them cook in the simmering sauce for 20-30 minutes. They will absorb the great marinara flavor.
11. Serve over fresh spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

This was a great meal.  The cheese added a nice texture to the meatballs.  Needless to say, we will be having these again.