Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
on Apr 29, 2018, Updated Jul 23, 2020
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Mozzarella stuffed meatballs are a fun appetizer or a great potluck idea for work.
Two kinds of cheese are used in the blend of meat to keep them moist and give added flavor, and a tomato-herb-infused mozzarella makes for a luscious, creamy center.
They certainly performed well today and my colleagues couldn’t get enough of these lively and delicious pizza meatballs!
About these
There are no eggs or breadcrumbs in these pizza meatballs, making them an excellent choice for the gluten-free crowd and those who can only eat eggless meatballs due to allergies or other dietary preferences or restrictions.
What’s in them?
- Onion
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Dried basil
- Tomato Paste
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
How to make these
Combine some ground chuck with hot Italian sausage. Then add the puréed ingredients. Combine that mixture and then form the meatballs and stuff them with the good stuff.
Once the cheese-stuffed meatballs are formed, they spend a few minutes on the stove where the bottoms are browned. Next, you transfer them to a hot oven where they finish baking. It’s normal for a little of the mozzarella to ooze out, giving you a creamy prelude of what’s to come!
The biggest issue I have when making these mozzarella stuffed meatballs is in controlling my own natural desires to devour them, as they come out of the oven.
I’ll be honest, occasionally one or two of these just won’t make it to the serving platter. Don’t judge me; I’m only human.
Be sure you don’t burn your hand on the handle of that skillet, as you’re taking these meatballs out of the oven, that sucker is hot! Ask me, I know.
Pizza meatballs
You can call these mozzarella-stuffed meatballs or pizza meatballs, or even cheese stuffed meatballs because they are all of these!
I like to serve them with a version of our homemade marinara sauce recipe but I would never judge you if you take the easy route and smother them with a jar of your favorite store version.
Or. Eat them plain. Again, no judging! Speaking of plain, here is another easy meatball recipe for you to try. This recipe for 20 minute meatballs can be used for almost anything!
Pro Kitchen Tip
Whenever you make your own marinara, ragu, or pizzas sauce and use tomato paste, combine it with a little olive oil and then brown it every so slightly on the stove top.
This will caramelize the sugars within to boost the flavor and give you a smoother paste!
Freeze them for later
It seems that everyone loves an easy meatballs recipe. You can make them for dinner or like I did today, like a pot luck idea for work. Another great feature of these meatballs is that you can wrap them up in the freezer and use for later.
We’re happy to add these cheese-stuffed meatballs make our family of meatball recipes.
More potluck recipes
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did putting it together.
Thanks for reading Platter Talk and please leave a comment below, we love hearing from folks!
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Ingredients
For the purée
- 1/2 onion, large, chopped
- 3.5 oz marinated sun-dried tomatoes, about 1/4 cup
- 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup Romano cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the meatballs
- 16 oz ground beef, lean
- 16 oz Italian sausage, hot
- 8 oz Mozarella cheese, Use plain, smoked, or an herb-infused like we do.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- fresh basil, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Use a food processor to purée those ingredients. Process until a paste is formed.
- Use a large mixing bowl and combine the beef and sausage, along with the purée mixture. Roll the mixture into 24 meatballs.
- Make an indentation in each meatball and place a cube of the Mozzarella cheese deep inside. Mold the meat to form a meatball around the cheese.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet, over medium high. Snuggly place meatballs in pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes to brown the bottoms. Do not flip the meatballs.
- Transfer skillet to hot oven and finish baking the meatballs, for about 15-20 minutes until cooked through, drain any juice. Serve with a marina or ragu sauce of your choice. Garnish with optional sweet basil if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could these be assembled and then cooked in sauce in a crock pot? I’m looking for an easy way to prep these for a football game 🙂 Thanks!
That might work! Be sure they are large enough so they don’t fall apart in the crock pot. Also, you’ll want to add a tablespoon or two of flour to help absorb the juices.
I made these last night using the small round mozzarella balls bought in liquid. Served with my homemade spaghetti sauce, noodles, and Asiago cheese. Delish!
Thanks for the great feedback, Cuz! The pasta and Asiago sound like spot-on compliments to these meatballs. We’re happy to hear you tired these but what we would really love to do is share with our readers just a few of the showstoppers that you make for your lucky crew at home. Thanks again for stopping by!! xo
These look & sound incredible! YUM.
Thanks Rylee, I am certain you would love a big bowl of these!