Lunch / Dinner
Pizza Meatballs with Smoky Cheese
Huge and hearty, these meatballs make great party fare. Or, pop some in the freezer for a make-ahead meal that can be ready in minutes. Deconstruct a slice of sausage and pepper pizza and repackage it in these mighty meatballs. Two types of cheese in the mixture keep them moist, and a boldflavored smoked mozzarella makes for a melty, oozy center. Then instead of carb-heavy crust, serve the meatballs over a delicious onion and pepper ragu.
Ingredients
PURÉE:
COMBINE:
PRESS:
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Purée onion, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, tomato paste, pepper flakes, and salt in a food processor until a paste forms.
Combine ground chuck, sausage, and puréed mixture; divide evenly into 24 meatballs.
Press 1 cube smoked mozzarella into center of each meatball, then form meatball around it to enclose.
Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high. Fit meatballs snugly, into pan; sauté 3–4 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and roast meatballs until cooked through, 10–12 minutes (some cheese will melt out of the meatballs). Carefully transfer meatballs to a platter with Three Onion Ragu.
Add the puréed mixture to the meat and gently combine with your hands, taking care not to overmix.
After making a small indentation in the meatball, press a cheese cube into it and enclose.
So the meatballs cook on all sides, brown the bottoms, then transfer them to the oven without flipping.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 410
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 38%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 760mg 31%
Carbs 5g 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 42g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.