Meatball Sliders

Name: Meatball Sliders
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean); 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs; 3 tablespoons prepared pesto; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 jar (24 ounces) pasta sauce; 1 package (18 ounces) Hawaiian sweet rolls; 12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 cup melted butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese or shredded Italian cheese blend; Minced fresh basil

Total Time Prep: 1 hour Bake: 30 min.

Yield 12 servings

Test Kitchen Approved

These meatball sliders feature pesto-filled meatballs, pasta sauce and two types of cheese, all baked inside Hawaiian sweet rolls. They're a pleasure to eat!

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 jar (24 ounces) pasta sauce
1 package (18 ounces) Hawaiian sweet rolls
12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese or shredded Italian cheese blend
Minced fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, pesto and egg; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 12 meatballs; place on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until browned and a thermometer reads 160°, about 35 minutes. Toss meatballs with sauce; set aside.
Meanwhile, without separating rolls, cut horizontally in half; arrange bottom halves in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Place half the cheese slices over roll bottoms; sprinkle with oregano. Add meatballs and sauce. Top with remaining cheese slices and bun tops.
Combine butter, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes; brush over buns. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella.
Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.

Nutrition Facts

1 slider: 518 calories, 26g fat (12g saturated fat), 121mg cholesterol, 845mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 4g fiber), 33g protein.

These meatball sliders are a fun way to serve meatballs at your party without using a slow cooker. Made on mini Hawaiian rolls, they have a hint of sweetness to balance out all the wonderful Italian seasonings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Recipe Creator