i haven’t had meatballs in what seems like years… so as i perused the aisles of the supermarket, i decided to make meatballs. this is my recipe for cheese-stuffed meatballs in tomato sauce. it yields about 15 very large meatballs. serve them with pasta and you will have enough for 5-6 servings. that’s a lot of brown-bagged lunches!
once again i don’t have exact measurements. i should really work on that. until then, here are some general guidelines.
ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- aged cheddar, cut into small cubes (1 per meatball)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz) – use 2 cans if making more than 15 meatballs
- 1 small onion, diced
- freshly cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, and basil to taste
method
- combine beef, bread crumbs, parmesan, and parsley in a large bowl. add a bit of salt and pepper along with the egg. mix well.
- form meatballs by wrapping the meat mixture around the cubes of cheese. try to center the cheese cubes and make larger meatballs so that you do not lose the cheese during the cooking process.
- brown and half-cook the meatballs in a pan. using two spoons and a non-stick pan will help you brown all sides of the meatballs without them falling apart on you.
- place the half-cooked meatballs on paper towel and soak up the excess grease. set aside.
- in a large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp of oil and cook onions until translucent. add pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, and basil.
- pour in the crushed tomatoes and gently add the meatballs. bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes. if the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water.
- serve meatballs with crusty bread or over pasta.