Pork and beef meatballs stuffed with melty, gooey mozzarella and smothered in a rich tomato sauce make for a filling weeknight meal! The best part? This recipe is on the table in 40 minutes.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Everyone loves meatballs! Have a ho hum dinner, add meatballs and presto! It’s a royal meal, or at least a royal family meal.
How to make stuffed meatballs
You can whip up these meatballs in just 20 minutes. Form balls, poke a hole in each ball with your finger, fill with a piece of cheese and shape the meatballs around again.
Then they go into a pan to bake in the oven. While the meatballs are baking, quickly prepare a tomato sauce on the stove. Combine the sauce and meatballs, sprinkle the entire dish with cheese and bake together until bubbly, cheesy and slightly melted.
Toss the meatballs in a bowl of sauce, serve over pasta, or layer on a saucer for a delicious meatball sandwich. Yummy!
What kind of mozzarella should I use?
Either fresh mozzarella or low-moisture mozzarella (cut from a block of cheese or sticks) will work well in this recipe, depending on what you can find at your market. The low-moisture cheese tends to be a bit oilier when melted, but I made these with both types of cheese.
10 Minute Tomato Sauce? Yes, please!
This is my go-to sauce. With just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and basil, it’s ridiculously easy to make.
Every time I see someone reaching for bottled tomato sauce in the market, I want to pat them on the back, “Honey, stop it! Do not do it! Buy the Can of tomatoes, and make your sauce in 10 minutes! Here, I’ll give you the recipe.” Of course, I refrain from such behavior.
That The tin is filled with San Marzano tomatoes, packed in a thick tomato sauce. That Canned Tomatoes is the secret to the freshest, easiest tomato sauce you’ll ever find. It’s pennies more than the store’s own brand, but it’s pennies less than a prepared sauce.
Canned tomatoes should be soft and supple, bathed in a thick sauce, and easy to mash by hand. If you buy tomatoes in watery juice that are hard where the stem was removed, make note of it and try a different brand next time. (excited about.)
Make-Ahead Meatballs
How to Freeze Raw Meatballs: Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and, once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge and bake according to the recipe. They will keep in the freezer for two to three months.
To Freeze Cooked Meatballs: Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and, once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. From frozen, slowly reheat them on the stovetop or in the oven in the sauce.
You can also thaw them overnight in the fridge and then heat them on the stove. They will keep in the freezer for two to three months.
To freeze cooked meatballs in sauce: Place them in a freezer container and freeze them. Reheat them slowly on the stovetop or thaw them in the fridge and then reheat them in the sauce on the stovetop or in the oven. They will keep in the freezer for two to three months.
Who doesn’t love meatballs?! The more the better!
- Moist turkey meatballs! Yes, it’s possible!
- Be like Maroon 5 and add some sweetness to your life with these Swedish Meatballs!
- If you’ve always wanted to try lamb, lamb meatballs are a great place to start!
- Get out your pressure cooker to make these porcupine meatballs (they’re not made with real porcupines).
- Sometimes you just have to go for a classic. Italian Meatballs for Victory!
Meatballs filled with mozzarella in tomato sauce
ingredients
- For the meatballs:
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1/3 cup whole milk, 2% or low-fat milk
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1 1/2 slices of white bread, derinded and torn into pieces
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3/4 teaspoon salt
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1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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3/4 pound ground beef
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3/4 pound ground beef
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3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
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1 large egg, beaten in a bowl
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2 to 3 ounces fresh or low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 16 (1-inch) pieces
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2 tablespoons olive oil
- For the tomato sauce:
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2 (28-ounce) cans of whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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pinch of sugar (optional)
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6 to 7 basil leaves, torn into pieces, plus more for serving
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1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
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1/2 cup grated parmesan
method
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Preheat Oven to 400ºF:
Heat the milk in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop for 30 seconds until warm to the touch.
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Make the Meatball Mixture:
Place the bread pieces in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk over it and let it soak for about 5 minutes, or until the milk is absorbed and the mixture cools. Add the salt and pepper to the bowl and mash with a fork to break up the bread.
Add the ground beef, pork, parmesan, and egg to the bowl and mix well with your hands.
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Shape meatballs:
Divide the mixture into 16 equal pieces and roll each into a golf ball sized round piece. Make a well in each ball with your finger and push in a piece of mozzarella. Pinch the meat to close the hole. Roll the meatball again to enclose the cheese.
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Bake Meatballs:
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the pan in one layer and place the hot pan in the oven. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes. If the meatballs are not browned, turn on the grill and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
Remove from the oven and tilt the pan. Scoop out and discard excess oil. When you’ve grilled the meatballs, turn the oven heat back down to 400oF.
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While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce:
Pour both cans of tomatoes and their juice into a bowl. Use your hand to break them into smaller pieces. When cooked, they break down even more.
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Cook sauce:
Place the oil and garlic in a large, wide saucepan. (You don’t heat the oil first.) Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until the garlic starts to sizzle.
Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and add more salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar (to taste). Stir in the basil leaves.
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Finish the meatballs:
Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the pan. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Place the pan back in the oven and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts. Sprinkle with the torn basil leaves and serve.
