Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

My husband lovessss meatballs. Fried, baked, in sauces he loves them all. We have regular date nights and about 90% of the time we end up eating Italian (our favorite!) and what does he get? a serving of meatballs…..every time.

Classic Italian flavors infused in both the meatballs and marinara.

I wanted to recreate this large moist meatball and wanted to put a surprise in the middle. But there is a big difference between eating a meatball as dry as sand and biting into a moist juicy meatball.

This is the panade. Rustic Italian bread soaked in beef stock. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes and butter as a substitute.

The difference between eating meals in a restaurant and making meals at home is that we are much more aware of the fat content. we tend to go for leaner meats, we tend to stay away from deep-frying and a lot of oils. In restaurants everything is batter or sautéed in a ridiculous amount of fat. So, if you’d like to use chicken or turkey, for its lower fat content, I am right there with you, just be aware that its much drier than fattier cuts of meat like pork or beef.

I love how the meatballs have different textures and flavors from the bread to the fresh onions and cilantro

Instead of getting ground breast, try to go for thighs which are just a little bit fattier. You can also add in a tablespoon of butter and/or create a panade as mentioned in the recipe. Soak a few pieces of white bread in some milk mash and add that to the meat mixture. Your meatballs will remain moist regardless of cooking method.

Meatballs in Marinara

Meatballs

• 1 lb of ground meat
• 1 tablespoon of sour orange (or preserved lemons)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup of onions
•        5 cloves of garlic, minced
•        1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 1/2 cup of panade*
  • 2 or 3 slices of white bread, covered in milk or stock and mashed
• 1 bouillon cube (chicken or beef)
• 1/2 teaspoon of diced scotch bonnet pepper or jalapeño
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Mozzerella string cheese, dices in 1/2 inch

Marinara

1/2 cup of onion, diced

3 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, flavored with basil and oregano(16 oz)
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan, grated
• 1/4 cup of white wine
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

To start the marinara sauce, sautee the garlic and onions in the olive oils until the onions are trasnlucent. Add the tomatoes, bouillon cube, wine and parmesan and the fresh and dried herbs. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To create the meatballs, lightly mix the ground meat with all the ingredients. You don’t want to pack the meatballs together, the more you overwork and over mix the mixture the tougher and drier your meatballs will be. Form the balls with a large scoop or ice cream scoop so that they cook evenly. Push a thumb into the ball and push one portion of mozzerella in the meatball and cover the meatball with the rest of the filling.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees or broil at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes and finish off in marinara sauce for 10 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or steaming hot polenta. Grate parmesan or pecorino cheese and cilantro for the ultimate garnish!