Cheesy Meatballs

1 – Combine everything but the cheese sticks in a medium bowl – this works best if you use your hands!

2 – Heat several tablespoons oil in a medium skillet – be careful not to get it too hot. I’m not always specific with temperatures, so heat oil until the meat sizzles upon contact, but not so hot it splatters out to hurt you.

3 – While oil is heating, begin rolling the meatballs. First, cut each cheese stick into 1 inch pieces. Grab a pinch of meat, push a cheese piece into meat. Add another pinch of meat to the other side – roll around in your hand to form a ball around the cheese piece. Set aside; repeat with all remaining cheese pieces. If you have meat leftover don’t worry – just make some normal meatballs!

4 – Add meatballs to oil, not touching each other. Rotate balls until brown and slightly crisp on all sides. Once brown, remove from pan and place in an oven safe dish.

5 – Now, you have 3 options: 1) Add meatballs to your spaghetti sauce and simmer until ready to serve. This will make sure they are cooked thoroughly and have soaked up some sauce. 2) Place your dish of meatballs in a warm oven until ready to serve. If it will be longer than 5 minutes or so, cover with aluminium foil to keep moist. 3) Freeze! Then pull from the freezer when the mood strikes and simply reheat in the oven.

Notes:

For the crackers: Use what is on hand. I had some Triscuits which was a different texture. Ritz would give them a buttery flavor. If using Saltines, don’t add any salt to the meat. This is an excellent opportunity to hide some fiber! If necessary, use gluten free crackers.

Cheese: I liked using the cheese sticks; it was a very mild addition and they stay firm through the cooking process. However, Hubs and I agreed using actual mozzarella balls would be divine.

Sauce: I made my Spicy Spaghetti Sauce. This recipe is also perfect for freezing – make a double batch of both meatballs and sauce, then freeze for a quick and tasty meal later! Or use your favorite store bought sauce.

Assembly: I have several photos on my blog showing each step for rolling the meatballs