Meatballs are crushed or ground meat that are shaped into balls. They is usually cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. You can make different types of meatballs using different kinds of meats and adding other ingredients and spices. They are sometimes added to pasta and other dishes but can also be eaten alone as a snack or a main dish.
If you are tired of the same old plain meatballs, why not give it a delicious twist by adding some cheesy goodness to it? These are better than cooking dry meatballs that are flavorless and hard to swallow. For some people, cooking meatballs can be challenging to master. It is difficult to get the texture and taste right. The best meatballs are tender, crispy, juicy, cheesy. If you are looking for the best cheesy meatballs recipe, you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you some of the best cheesy meatball recipes that you can try to make at home.
1. Cheesy Meatballs
To be able to make the best meatballs, you need to focus on two things, which are the texture and the flavor. This way, they will not be bland and dry. To make them juicy, you can soak them in milk instead of dry breadcrumbs. Aside from that, they also need to be well-seasoned. You can do this by adding herbs and spices.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
- 3 slices of white bread (crust removed)
- ½ cup of milk
- 17 ounces or 500 grams of minced beef
- 17 ounces or 500 grams of minced pork
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano
- ¼ cup of finely chopped freshly parsley
- 1 teaspoon of beef bouillon powder or vegetable stock powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Black pepper
For the tomato Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 700 grams of tomato sauce
- ¼ cup of water
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons each of dried basil and oregano
- 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon of sugar
- 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil or parsley (chopped)
Procedure:
- Preheat your oven grill on medium-high heat or your main oven to 430°F (220°C).
- Mix the bread and milk in a large bowl. Press down the bread into the milk to submerge it fully and soak it into the bread. Set it aside.
- While the bread is soaking, get the meatball ingredients ready. Add all of them to the bowl of soaked bread and mix them well.
- Roll around 3 tablespoons of meat mixture into a ball. Set it aside onto a plate and repeat until you use all the meat.
- In a large well-seasoned skillet or non-stick pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Put in the meatballs and brown them on all sides until golden. After that, transfer them to a warm plate.
- Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the onion until transparent. Add in the garlic and sauté it until fragrant.
- Stir through the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, herbs, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix all of these together using a wooden spoon. Bring it to a simmer. After that, reduce the heat to low and do a taste test. Add some sugar if needed.
- Put the meatballs into the sauce. Cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- After cooking, top it with mozzarella cheese and transfer them to the oven and grill or bake on the middle shelf. Wait until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
- Garnish them with freshly chopped parsley and extra dried oregano or basil. You can serve it over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
2. Cheesy Baked Meatballs
If you want super cheesy, cheese-stuffed meatballs, this is the perfect recipe for you.
- Ingredients (good for 20 meatballs):
- 1 lb. or 455 grams of ground beef
- 1 lb. or 455 grams of hot Italian sausage
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- ½ cup of chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup or 55 grams of parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- 1 cup or 115 grams of Italian bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup or 240 mL of milk
- 24 ounces or 680 mL of marinara sauce
- 2 cups or 200 grams of mozzarella cheese
Procedure:
- Using a large mixing bowl, mix together some ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, eggs, and milk. Mix them well until everything is fully infused together.
- Create meatballs around 4-5 ounces or 113-142 grams. You can use a medium-sized ice cream scooper for even amounts.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F or 220°C.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on both sides for about 3 minutes or until they become crispy. Cook about half-way through and finish cooking in the oven.
- Get a casserole dish and put a few tablespoons of marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan. Put the meatballs in the casserole dish and add the remaining jar of marinara sauce. Top them with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake at 424°F or 220°C for 25 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Garnish it with parsley. Serve and enjoy!
These are two of the best recipes we can share for you to make the perfect cheesy meatballs at home. Both of these will surely give a delicious twist to the meatballs that you love.