Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

These Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs have the right combination of melty, gooey cheese, tender meat and savory spices. A little help from bottled Italian salad dressing ensures the meat is infused with herbs and other seasonings. The ingredients are generally affordable and easy to find; many are pantry and spice-rack staples. These meatballs freeze well, so make an entire batch (or double it) and store the extra for later. This is a good recipe for all cooking skill levels.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs Ingredients

• Egg: You’ll need an egg to bind the ingredients.
• Italian salad dressing: Salad dressing adds moisture and helps moisten the dry ingredients. Using Italian salad dressing also adds flavor, which is convenient.
• Bread: Bread helps bulk up the meatball recipe and soaks up the dressing, creating pockets of more intense flavor.
• Fresh parsley: Fresh parsley chopped up and distributed throughout the meat adds a bright and peppery taste.
• Garlic cloves: Garlic increases the intensity of the savory flavor of these meatballs.
• Dried oregano: Oregano has a prominent flavor that isn’t very sweet. It’s a classic herb in Italian and Greek cooking and pairs well with the dressing’s flavor.
• Ground pork: Ground pork is full of flavor and gives these meatballs a little more depth.
• Ground sirloin: Sirloin is lean and allows you to control the amount of fat in the recipe while adding more meat.
• Mozzarella cheese: Cubes of mozzarella cheese melt easily and create that gooey center that makes these meatballs stand out.
• Marinara sauce: There is no need to get fancy with these meatballs; a decent marinara sauce complements the meat and cheese well.
• Hot cooked pasta: Get ready to serve these meatballs immediately by having your favorite pasta cooked and waiting.

Directions

Step 1: Make and shape the meatballs

Combine the egg, salad dressing, bread, parsley, garlic, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Crumble the ground pork and sirloin and add to the bowl. Mix everything until lightly but thoroughly combined. Slice the mozzarella into 18 cubes that are 1/2 inch on all sides. Divide the meat mixture into 18 balls and wrap each around one cheese cube.

Step 2: Cook the meatballs and sauce

Add canola oil to a large skillet and raise the heat to medium. Cook the meatballs in batches; a thermometer inserted into the meat should read 160°F. When the meatballs are all cooked, drain the remaining oil and fat out of the pan. Pour the marinara sauce into a separate heated saucepan and add the meatballs. Ensure everything is heated and then serve the sauce and meatballs over the pasta.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs Variations

• Use ground chicken: Use ground chicken instead of the sirloin or pork. Cook the meatballs until the chicken reaches 165°, not 160°. Ensure you’re checking the temperatures of the chicken portion and the hot cheese. Neither should be below 165°.
• Try another cheese: Granted, mozzarella-stuffed meatballs need to use mozzarella. But if you want some cheese stuffed into meatballs, try another type that melts well. For example, try these Cheddar-stuffed meatballs. You can learn about what kind of cheese to use for recipes and experiment.

How to Store Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

Cooked leftover meatballs should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should be used within two days.

Can you freeze Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs?

You can make these ahead of time; just wait to cook them. Make the meatball mixture, shape the meat with cheese cubes and place them on a flat tray. Freeze them like that for a short time (less than an hour), and then put the meatballs in a freezer bag or freezer container. Use them within three months. To cook, let them thaw in the refrigerator, and then cook them in a covered saucepan. Again, always check the temperature of the meat and the cheese center to ensure they’ve reached 165°.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs Tips

Can you use shredded mozzarella?

Shredded mozzarella would be harder to contain within the meatball as you tried to wrap the meat around the cheese. If all you have is shredded cheese, you might consider mixing the cheese with the rest of the meat mixture, such as in this Mexican chicken meatballs recipe or this cheese meatballs recipe.

How do you stop the cheese from leaking out of the meatballs?

As you cook the meatballs, fry them on all sides to form a seal. You can also use low-moisture mozzarella to reduce the risk of leaking.

Can you bake these meatballs?

You could, but it would be a good idea to still sear the meatballs on all sides before baking to help reduce cheese leakage.