You have to try this Mozzarella Meatball recipe! It's an easy meal that can be made for your weeknight dinners and is full of flavor.
Total Time: 50 min Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 40 min
Mozzarella Meatballs
Ingredients
2 Pounds Ground Beef, 80% Lean 20% Fat
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
½ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Large Egg, Lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons of Cooking Oil, to brown meatballs
1 Yellow Onion, diced
Pinch of Kosher Salt, to season onions
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
32 oz Marinara Pasta Sauce
8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
Italian Parsley, minced
Recommended Equipment:
12-inch Skillet
Notes:
I recommend you to freshly shred the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese as they will melt better.
Instructions
1. In a mixing bowl add and combine ground beef, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, lightly beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. Be sure not to over mix as it will cause the meat to become tough.
2. Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the mixture and roll it into meatballs. I recommend refrigerating meatballs for 15 minutes before cooking.
3. In a skillet on medium heat, add in cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add in meatballs and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side to brown the meatballs. Meatballs will finish cooking in marinara sauce in later steps.
4. After browning the meatballs, remove them from the skillet and set aside. Drain the remnant grease from the skillet, only leaving in about 1 tablespoon. Next, add in diced onions, season with a pinch of salt and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then, add in minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
5. Add in your favorite marinara sauce and mix in with the onions and garlic. Season the sauce with salt & black pepper to taste, and bring to a low simmer. Once the sauce is simmering, add in meatballs. Baste the top of the meatballs with the pasta sauce and cover. Slightly reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked. Make sure to turn over meatballs periodically. Once done cooking, remove from heat.
After cooking the meatballs, I like to remove the meatballs from the skillet and stir the sauce to re-incorporate the oil that may have separated while cooking. If there is excess oil on top of the sauce after cooking, I recommend spooning the oil out. Once done, add the meatballs back to the skillet.
6. Preheat the oven to high broil.
7. In the same skillet, or you can transfer meatballs with the sauce to a baking dish, top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place in the oven on high broil for about 5-7 minutes or until the cheese melts and becomes brown and bubbly. Once done, let rest for about 5 minutes for cheese to firm. If excess amounts of oil, you can use a paper towel to dab the top.
8. Remove from the oven and top with parmesan cheese and Italian parsley.