Description
Succulent spinach and mozzarella-stuffed meatballs combine Italian flavors with comforting textures. Garlic-infused and packed with herbs, these meatballs offer a delicious twist you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) ground beef
- 8 oz (226 g) mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
- 2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Meticulously chop spinach and finely mince garlic, preparing them for culinary transformation with precision and care.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium flame. Sizzle garlic until fragrant, then introduce spinach, cooking until completely wilted and moisture evaporates. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a cooling plate.
- Blend Mixture: In a spacious mixing vessel, combine ground beef, cooled spinach-garlic blend, breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Gently fold ingredients, preserving meat’s delicate texture and avoiding excessive compression.
- Form and Stuff Meatballs: Craft uniform spheres slightly larger than golf balls. Excavate a strategic cavity in each meatball’s center, nestling a mozzarella cheese cube within. Meticulously seal cheese completely inside the meat mixture, ensuring no gaps remain.
- Cooking Technique: Select your preferred cooking method. For oven roasting, arrange meatballs on a greased baking sheet at 375°F (190°C), roasting 20-25 minutes until exterior achieves golden-brown perfection and interior reaches optimal doneness. Alternatively, for stovetop preparation, heat a thin oil layer in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear meatballs, rotating to ensure uniform browning, then reduce heat, cover, and continue cooking for 10 minutes until thoroughly cooked through.
Notes
- Cheese Sealing Technique: Completely encase mozzarella inside meatballs to prevent cheese leakage during cooking, ensuring a delightful molten center.
- Moisture Management: Thoroughly drain spinach after sautéing to prevent watery meatballs and maintain ideal meat texture.
- Gentle Mixing Method: Handle meat mixture delicately to keep meatballs tender and prevent dense, tough results.
- Temperature Precision: Use meat thermometer to confirm internal temperature reaches 160°F for safe ground beef consumption.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking/Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 456
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 595 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 131 mg