Mozzarella Meatballs

In the mood for something a little different this weekend? Well why not try making your very own mozzarella meatballs! Paired with spaghetti, courgetti, some sweet potato wedges, or even a mixed salad, these babies can be devoured with a number of different sides. Brought to my attention by my boyfriend, we put our meatball making skills to the test last weekend. Due to tasting so good, we had to share!

Recipe: Mozzarella Meatballs

Ingredients (serves four):

• 500g ground minced beef (I recommend you use lean mice)
• 500g hot Italian sausage (de-skin individual spicy sausages if you can't find hot Italian sausage meat)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt to season
• 1 tsp black pepper to season
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shavings or grated works best)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion 
• Mozzarella cheese (we used a medium sized ball of Mozzarella)
• Italian herbs (I added Italian herbs into the mixture too)
• A large jar of tomato sauce (or two medium sized jars  - depending on how many meatballs you're making. We used two medium jars and made about 14 meatballs in total.)

What you'll need:

• A slow cooker (set to high)
• A large bowl

Method:

1. Cut low moisture mozzarella cheese into 3/4 inch cubes (a little bigger than the size of a dice) and set to the side, or place in the fridge out of the way.
2. Prep the meat: In a large mixing bowl add the ground beef, hot Italian sausage, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, whole milk, chopped parsley, chopped onion, and the Italian herbs all together. Toss the meat around, mixing the ingredients with your hands creating a meaty mixture which stays together when pressed into one big lump.
3. Roll golf ball sized balls with the meat mixture. Push the mozzarella cube/s into the centre of the ball and pull the edges of the meat ball (shaping it into a new ball again) with the cheese tucked away inside. Be as generous as you like with the cheese, but don't over do it as the meatball may open up whilst cooking if too much cheese is inside.
4. Put a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker and arrange the meatballs then cover in tomato sauce. We had two layers of meatballs in the slow cooker and they were all consistent so don't be afraid of layering up.
5. Cook on high for 2 to 2.5 hours, then serve with your preferred side dish, garnishing with a sprinkling of finely chopped parsley.

Fast forward two and a half hours later...

Voila! Mozarella meatballs. Fun and very easy to make, and they don't only look delicious, they taste extraordinarily scrumptious too. An ideal dish if you're treating friends to a hearty home-cooked meal, or if you're looking to impress the family with something a little different.

  For Now...

Just Julia