The M&M’s of Deliciousness – But Not the Candy! Just Meat-and-Mozzarella Goodness!
Delicious mozzarella-stuffed meatballs. Made with mozzarella cheese – so creamy and mouth-watering. The cheese supposedly was born in Southern Italy as early as 1 A.D. Its name evolved from an Italian dialect verb mozzare, which means “to separate” or “to cut off,” reflecting the production process for the cheese. The curds are stretched by hand into strips and then chopped into ball shapes.
Now, marry this silky cheese with meatballs, and your guests will be inviting themselves over for dinner!
Why You’ll Have a Ball with These Meatballs…
They’re a treat within a treat! Not only do you get a satisfying bite of ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. You get luscious mozzarella as your surprise extra punch on the inside. Mozzarella, while a surprisingly uncomplicated cheese, is extremely flavorful, with a milky, soft, hefty texture. There are both cow and buffalo milk varieties. It can taste floral, grassy, and sometimes slightly acidic.
Want something truly decadent to go with your meatballs? How about going all out on mozzarella with this Marinated Mozzarella? Throw in some veggies, and you’ve got yourself a salad that goes perfectly with your meatballs. More mozzarella, you say? How about this Easy Baked Pasta? You could add your meatballs to this pasta if you like, and make this your main course. This recipe features Parmesan and ricotta cheese, so you’d be getting a ton of cheesiness.
Olive Oil – is there a difference in types?
Great for your health, olive oil yields many dietary benefits, such as making your hair shiny and soft, and aiding with digestion. While extra virgin olive oil gets quite the buzz these days, it’s more recommended for seasoning and salad dressing. Virgin olive oil is better for cooking. Refined olive oil is also often used for cooking and pure olive oil also works.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Leftover meatballs can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 4 – 5 days. They also freeze well, simply allow them to cool after cooking, place them on a lined baking sheet and flash freeze for an hour. Then gather them up into ziplock bags and freeze until you need them – they should stay good for 2 – 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
These tasty balls of fun can be served as appetizers. But they’re so hearty that they easily make a main entrée. Lighten up the meat-and-cheese factor with some veggies! How about this yummy Cucumber and Tomato Salad? Very summery. Or perhaps this Mediterranean Salad with Pomegranate Lemon Dressing if you’re looking for something more sophisticated. Of course, pasta and meatballs are a match made in heaven, so why not pair them with this Cheesy Baked Ziti for something more hearty?
Whatever you choose to serve them with, your mozzarella-stuffed meatballs will be a real crowd-pleaser!
Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 small mozzarella cheese cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Form the meat mixture into 12 equal-sized balls.
- Make an indentation in the center of each ball and place a mozzarella cube inside. Reshape the meatball to enclose the cheese completely.
- Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides.
- Pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs in the skillet.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
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