Cheese stuffed Meatballs with MORE cheese on top!
HEALTH BENEFITS: Cheese is a great source of calcium, fat, and protein. Canned Tomatoes contain a wide variety of nutrients, including vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, and fibre. They're also loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as beta-carotene and lycopene. Beef is a great source of protein.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
MEATBALLS:
1 onion chopped finely
500g minced Irish beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
Generous hand-full of chopped fresh parsley
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of whole milk
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 packet (135g) The Little Milk Company cheddar, cut into 1.5cm cubes
2 tablespoons Irish Rapeseed oil
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon Irish Rapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
Splash of red or white wine vinegar
2 roasted red peppers - chopped
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 pack (200g) of grated mozzarella cheese
SERVE with spagetti
Instructions
MEATBALLS: Fry onions on a pan gently until translucent. Leave cool. Combine beef, garlic, cooked onions, parsley, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, milk, smoked paprika, and salt in a bowl. Using your hands, gently mix all ingredients to incorporate. Shape mixture into golf ball size balls. Poke a hole in each ball and insert 1 cheese cube. Re-form meatballs to seal in cheese. Refrigerate meatballs for 30 minutes.
Warm olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Sear meatballs, in batches if necessary, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total (they will not be cooked through). Transfer meatballs to a platter and set aside; do not wipe out skillet as this is a great source of flavour that your sauce will incorporate later!
SAUCE: Add oil to same pan used for the meatballs. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add paprika, anchovy paste stirring to combine. Cook for 1 minute, then add wine vinegar, stirring quickly to scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add tomatoes and peppers and bring mixture to a boil.
Add meatballs to sauce and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the top of the meatballs and sauce with the mozzarella. Put the lid on and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve on a bed of spagetti with a side of garlic bread. Enjoy