Cheese Stuffed Meatballs in Homemade Tomato Sauce
Insanely delicious Cheese Stuffed Meatballs in a dreamy homemade tomato sauce. Serve for spaghetti night or for the big game as an appetizer!
Servings: 6
Calories: 325kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4-5 ounces mozzarella cheese or provolone cut into 13-16 square pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Homemade Tomato Sauce:
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- ½ cup yellow onions chopped
- 28 ounce crushed san marzano tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup water or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto homemade or store-bought
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Meatballs
- MIX: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the panko, egg, parmesan, parsley, milk, grated garlic, italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper until it resembles a coarse breading. Add the the ground beef and mix until just combined. Do not overwork the meat as this will result it drier meatballs.
- ROLL: into desired size balls. Make an indentation in the center and add a cube of cheese. Wrrap the meat around the cheese. Roll between palms to smooth them out. Place on a clean plate.
- SEAR: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6-8 meatballs at a time. Let them cook for about 7-9 minutes, flipping as needed to brown all sides evenly. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
Marinara Sauce
- SAUTE: To the remaining oil in the skillet, add the minced garlic and continuously stir to cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the onions and let them sweat for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, water, pesto, and salt.
- SIMMER: Allow the sauce to come to a simmer. Add meatballs back to the skillet. Dollop sauce over meatballs. Cover saute pan with a lid and lower the heat to low. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it thickens and the meatballs cook through.
- SERVE: warm on a bed of pasta or if you're serving this as an appetizer for a party, transfer to a slow cooker and keep on the warm setting.
Notes
- You can swap the beef for chicken or turkey if you'd like.
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g
