Description
Cheesy mozzarella stuffed meatballs are simmered in a homemade tomato sauce to create a delicious dish worth sharing!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese ball, cut into 1/2 inch square pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup beef broth (optional)
- 1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease 2 baking sheets with cooking spray or oil.
- Mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic, parsley, basil, salt and pepper; mix with a fork until combined.
- Stuff: Roll meat into balls (about 2 tablespoons each), press into the center to create an indent, place a piece of cheese in the center, and re-roll to cover the cheese.
- Bake: Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
- Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Thicken: Whisk in the cornstarch and optional beef broth and simmer for 2 additional minutes.
- Simmer Sauce: Add crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil and salt; bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Combine: Carefully add baked meatballs to the sauce and simmer uncovered on low heat for an additional 10 minutes.
Notes
You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey. Fresh herbs can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of dried herbs for every 2 tablespoons of fresh. Gluten-free breadcrumbs may be used.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 151 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 265 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
Keywords: mozzarella stuffed meatballs, cheesy meatballs, italian appetizer, homemade tomato sauce