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Italian Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Meatballs Recipe

Cheese Stuffed Meatballs are made with a savory blend of ground beef and hot Italian sausage, plus plenty of herbs and seasonings.
Author: Donna Elick
Servings: 32 meatballs
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef 85%
  • 1 pound Italian sausage links hot or mild, casings removed (See Note 1)
  • 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 sprigs rosemary leaves chopped finely
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup marinara sauce homemade or store bought
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into 1-inch cubes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place all ingredients except mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Using clean hands, mix ingredients to combine, but do not overwork the mixture. *Working them too much can cause tough meatballs.
  • Using a 4 tablespoon (2-ounces) scoop, scoop out meat and place on a baking sheet or plate. After all meatballs have been scooped onto a tray, with damp hands roll them into balls. Place balls back on tray or plate. One at a time place meatball in the palm of your cupped hand. Press mozzarella cube into the meatball and roll back into a ball.
  • Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, not touching. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until meatballs are browned and no longer pink in the middle.
  • Serve immediately or place meatballs into your sauce and simmer until ready to serve. Some of your mozzarella cheese may have tried to make a run for it. Just scoop up the meatballs and cook it in the sauce.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  1. I use hot Italian sausage links, with the casings removed. Ground Italian sausage works too.
  2. You can substitute dried herbs and spices for fresh - 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning for the fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder for the fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder for the fresh onion.
  3. Nutrition note: Because serving sizes can vary, nutrition shown is for one meatball.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 138cal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 331mg | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg