Cheese Stuffed Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs with a cheesy surprise in the center... you can't get too much better than that!   My Mother always made her meatballs with a cube of mozzarella cheese in the center... as kids we loved it...

I honestly forgot all about it until the other day I was making meatballs and reached for the block of mozzarella in the fridge... I had to stop and laugh to myself... sometimes your memories just take over and without even thinking you do what you did long ago... and I suppose it's a really good thing since these meatballs are delicious!

TIPS

The only thing I changed from my Mother's recipe is that I bake my meatballs and she used to fry them... baking them saves so much time and is so much healthier... if you don't bake yours.. try it... it may surprise you.

I love to use the Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick aluminum foil, nothing sticks to it and I don’t have to use any oil.  

The baking time is approximate... it will depend on the size meatballs you make. 

Not too many tips here... just a great recipe that's easy... and pretty quick too!

Recipe:  Cheese Stuffed Italian Meatballs

All you need:

1 pound ground sirloin

1 egg, beaten (you can also use egg beaters if you want to cut the fat even more)

1/4 cup milk (I use fat free milk, any type of milk will work)

1 medium onion finely chopped

3 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (I use curly parsley, but flat leaf works just as well)

2 tsp Italian Seasoning

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Salt and pepper

Mozzarella cheese, cubed

Tomato Sauce 

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Mix beef and egg, milk, onion, garlic, parsley, Italian Seasoning, bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper.  

Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and poke a small hole into the meatball with a finger... place a small cube of mozzarella cheese in it... then roll it again... burying the cheese in the meatball.   

Place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray or line your baking sheet with non-stick foil. 

Bake balls 25 minutes until no longer pink.  

Add the cooked meatballs to your favorite tomato sauce… cook on low for about 20 minutes. (just to have the sauce flavor absorbed into the meatballs).

It's as easy as 1...2...3