Baked Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs #BakingBloggers

 

This month, Sue of Palatable Pastime told the Baking Bloggers that for September we were baking with ground meat or minced meat. I am grateful to have some new recipes to try. This is what the #BakingBloggers are sharing...

• Baked Chicken Fingers by Sneha’s Recipe
• Baked Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Bierocks (German Beef & Cabbage Stuffed Rolls) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Hawawshi (Egyptian Meat Stuffed Bread) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Pierogi Shepherd’s Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tater Tot Cottage Pie (Shepherd’s Pie) by Palatable Pastime
• Turkey Zucchini Feta Meatballs by Food Lust People Love

Years ago I started baking my meatballs and, for this event, decided to try stuffing it with mozzarella. We rolled these in a tomato sauce and served them in a meatball sandwich.

Ingredients makes 16 meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
•  ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•  2 Tablespoons fresh basil
•  2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
•  ¾ pound fresh mozzarella cut into 16 cubes

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and the buttermilk. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, place all of the ingredients except for the mozzarella, including the bread crumbs. Mix together until just combined - not too much or the meatballs will be tough.

Divide meat into 16 even pieces. Press the meat into a disc and place the mozzarella in the center of the disc. Gently fold the meat around the cheese and pinch the edges together to completely enclose the cheese.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove meatballs from the oven.

Stir into a tomato sauce and let simmer an additional 20 minutes. Serve on a toasted roll with a sprinkle of more cheese.