How to Make Stuffed Meatballs

Homemade meatballs make a delicious meal, but if you'd like to make them extra special, stuff them with rich cheese. Combine a basic meatball mixture using ground beef or a combination of beef and lamb. Wrap the meatball mixture around your favorite cheese (like mozzarella), so the cheese is encased in meat. You can then fry the meatballs for a quick and crispy dish or bake them for tender meatballs. Serve the stuffed meatballs immediately, so the gooey cheese can ooze out of them.

EditIngredients

EditFor Baked Stuffed Meatballs

Makes 20 stuffed meatballs

1 pound (454 g) of ground beef
3/4 cup (70 g) of plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup (50 g) of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (120 ml) of water
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1 (8-ounce or 226 g) block of mozzarella, cut into 20 (1/2-inch or 12 mm) cubes

EditFor Fried Stuffed Meatballs

Makes 23 stuffed meatballs

3/4 pound (350 g) of lean ground beef
2/3 cup (150 g) of ground lamb
1 onion, grated
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon of ground cumin
1 1/3 cups (150 g) of shredded cheese (like mozzarella)
2 tablespoons of olive oil to fry
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, minced

EditSteps

EditMaking Baked Stuffed Meatballs

Preheat the oven and cut the cheese. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Take one 8-ounce (226 g) block of mozzarella cheese and use a sharp knife to cut it into 1/2-inch (12 mm) cubes. You should get about 20 small cubes of cheese.^[1]
- You could also use pepper jack, cheddar, or monterey jack cheese.
Combine the meatball ingredients and prepare a baking sheet. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set it aside. Get out a large mixing bowl and place all of the meatball ingredients in it. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture well. You'll need:^[2]
- 1 pound (454 g) of ground beef
- 3/4 cup (70 g) of plain bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup (50 g) of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Form the stuffed meatballs. Gather a few tablespoons of meatball mixture into a ball and press one cheese cube in the center of it. Spread the meatball mixture around the cheese, so it is encased in meat. Continue to form the stuffed meatballs until you use up the meat mixture. You should have about 20 stuffed meatballs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.^[3]
- You can use spoons or a small cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs.
Bake the stuffed meatballs. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the stuffed meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes. The meat shouldn't be pink and should be at least 160 degrees F (70 C). Serve the stuffed meatballs right away.^[4]
- Don't worry if some of the cheese cooks out of the meatballs, just try to remove them from the pan immediately, so they don't stick.

EditMaking Fried Stuffed Meatballs

Make and freeze shredded cheese balls. Get out 1 1/3 cups (150 g) of shredded cheese and use your fingers to pinch together a few teaspoons of cheese. Try to form the cheese into a ball shape. You should get about 20 to 23 small cheese balls. Place these on a baking sheet and freeze them for 30 minutes.^[5]
- You can use Mozzarella, Colby, or Monterey Jack Cheese.
Grate the onion and combine it with the meat. Peel one onion and grate it against the large-hole side of a box grater. Place the grated onion in a mixing bowl along with 3/4 pound (350 g) of lean ground beef and 2/3 cup (150 g) of ground lamb. Use a wooden spoon or your fingers to gently combine the onion and the meat.^[6]
- If you can't find ground lamb, you can easily substitute ground pork.
Season and chill the meatball mixture. Sprinkle the meatball mixture with ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin. Stir the seasonings into the meat until they're incorporated. Place the mixture in the refrigerator and chill it for 30 minutes.^[7]
- Chilling the meat mixture will help the flavors develop.
Form the stuffed meatballs. Remove the meat mixture from the fridge and use a few spoons or a small cookie scoop to portion out meatballs. You should get between 20 and 23 meatballs. Gently flatten each meatball between the palms of your hand and put a frozen cheese ball in the center. Spread the meat over the cheese and form a round ball. Set each stuffed meatball on the baking sheet.^[8]
- If the meat sticks to your hand, you can dip your hands in warm water. This will make it easier to handle the meat.^[9]
Fry the meatballs. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and heat it over medium-high. Once the oil shimmers, add enough meatballs to cover the skillet in a single layer. Fry the meatballs for 10 minutes and use tongs to turn them every once in a while. The meatballs should be completely golden brown on the outside. Remove the meatballs to a serving plate and fry another batch of meatballs (if you couldn't fit all of them in at once).^[10]
- You can garnish the stuffed meatballs with 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley.
- Consider serving the meatballs with a dipping sauce or glaze them with a little honey and pomegranate molasses.
Finished.