Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

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5 from 6 votes

Cheese Stuffed Meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella in the middle and baked until browned and the cheese is melty.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 136kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (93%-7% fat)
½ pound ground mild Italian sausage
1 large egg
⅓ cup breadcrumbs
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus additional 1-2 tablespoons for garnish)
⅓ cup yellow onion very finely diced
2 tablespoons half & half
2 teaspoons grated garlic
1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning blend
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
15 cubes (¾-inch) mozzarella cheese (from an 8-ounce block)
24 ounce jar of tomato & basil marinara sauce
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil. Spray the foil with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine together the lean ground beef, mild Italian sausage, egg, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, finely minced yellow onion, half & half, grated garlic, Italian seasoning blend, salt, and black pepper. You can use your hands, or a wooden spoon, to make sure that all the ingredients are fully combined. Be sure not to overmix your meatball mixture, or it will get tough.
1 pound lean ground beef, ½ pound ground mild Italian sausage, 1 large egg, ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup yellow onion, 2 tablespoons half & half, 2 teaspoons grated garlic, 1½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning blend, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Using a 2-inch-sized cookie scoop, scoop out the 15 meatballs and place them onto a plate until all the meat mixture is used.
Taking one meatball into the palm of your hand, gently flatten it into a disc about 3½ inches wide.
Place one mozzarella cheese cube into the center of the flattened disc, then carefully fold the sides up and around the cheese cube. Gently roll the meat into the shape of a meatball. Make sure that none of the cheese is exposed.
15 cubes (¾-inch) mozzarella cheese
Place the mozzarella cheese-filled meatball onto the prepared baking sheet. Continue filling and rolling until all the stuffed meatballs have been formed and placed in rows onto the baking sheet.
Bake the cheese-stuffed meatballs for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and the meat is cooked thoroughly with no pink remaining. You can cut one of the meatballs open to check for doneness at the 20-minute mark.
Remove the meatballs from the oven and allow them to rest for five minutes on the baking sheet.
While your meatballs are resting, you can heat your jar of tomato & basil marinara in a medium skillet on medium-low heat.
24 ounce jar of tomato & basil marinara sauce
Once your sauce is warm, spoon some of the sauce (about ½-¾ cup) onto the serving plate, add the meatballs, and spoon another ¾ - 1 cup of the warmed sauce over the top of the meatballs. You will have some sauce left over.
Garnish the cheese-stuffed meatballs with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and fresh chopped parsley.
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Notes

Storage:

To Store: Once your meatballs have cooled completely, you can store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Store the baked and cooled meatballs in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to two months in the freezer.
To Reheat: To reheat, place the meatballs into a saucepan on medium-low heat to warm through with any excess sauce that remains.

Tips:

You can make this an all-beef meatball if desired. I suggest sticking with the leaner ground beef when making these meatballs as I find that the fattier ground beef gives off too much liquid fat when baked, and the cheese tends to run out of the meatball more often.

This recipe uses traditional plain breadcrumbs. You can certainly use Italian-seasoned bread crumbs and skip the addition of the Italian seasoning in the mixture.

The half & half adds a little extra moisture to the lean ground beef without making the meatballs too fatty. You can substitute whole milk or even heavy cream in place of the half & half.

Be sure not to overmix your meatball mixture, or it will get tough.

Nutrition