Meatballs Stuffed with Mozzarella
There’s a nice little surprise in these yummy Italian beef meatballs… mozzarella! I serve these with a bowl of marinara and a sprinkle of Reggiano Parmesano…they fly off the plate. The best thing about this appetizer is making them ahead of time when you are making your normal style meatballs (see my “authentic Italian Meatballs” post) for pasta sauce. Just take 1/3 of the meatball mixture and stuff them with the mozzarella and then freeze for a later date, thaw and bake briefly to heat thru. There nothing more comforting then gooey mozzarella oozing from mouth watering meatballs dunked in homemade tomato and basil marinara! Try them… you’ll love them and so will your friends.
Ingredients – Makes 21 Small Meatballs:
- 1 lb. Angus beef
- 1 extra-large egg
- 3/4 cup after soaked in milk – (1/2 loaf of 2 day old Italian bread soaked in 1 cup milk)
- 1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
- 1 lg. garlic clove put thru garlic press
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 1 16 oz. mozzarella block cut into 1/2″ squares
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400º
- Break up a 1/2 loaf of 2 day old Italian bread and place into a large bowl as shown in photo
- Pour 1 cup milk over bread and let it absorb for 10 minutes
- Wash, spin, dry and finely chop parsley, set aside
- Discard outer crusts from soaking Italian bread
- Begin to break soaking bread pieces apart with your fingers…if you feel any gooey pieces throw those away (if it sat out for a couple of days it won’t get gooey)…the bread should just fall apart easily
- Take 3/4’s cup of this soaking bread and add to a large mixing bowl
- To this bowl add in Parmesan, chopped parsley, garlic clove thru garlic press, salt and pepper and 1 egg
- Whisk til just combined
- Add in 1 lb. of Angus beef and begin to mix gently with your hands…DON’T over work the meatballs you don’t want it to look fully combined like a meatloaf
- Using a cookie scooper begin to shape and roll mixture with your hands – they will be small about 1 1/2″…have a small bowl of water to the side to keep hands damp not wet (this makes it easier to rolls meatballs)
- Cut up 1/2″ squares of the mozzarella block
- Press thumb into middle of the round meatball, place in cheese square & pull the sides of the meat back over the cheese to seal it up
- Spray cookie tray with Pam canola oil
- Place 21 shaped & stuffed meatballs onto the cookie tray and spray the tops of the meatballs
- Place them into the oven for 15 minutes, take out flip meatballs over and bake for another 10 minutes…mangia mangia : )