I was going to try and make some meatballs that I found in a recent issue of Food Network magazine. I had all of the ingredients, I thought, but then realized I didn’t once I got started cooking. Then there were some ingredients I didn’t buy because I knew I didn’t want to use them in this particular recipe and then I forgot one of the ingredients because I was trying to talk on the phone and cook at the same time…that rarely works out well for me. So, I am not going to write the original recipe and then tell you what I changed, I am going to just write it as I made it. It will be easier that way.
Ingredients:
4 oz shredded mozzarella, divided
1 large shallot
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Dash of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb ground turkey, beef, pork or chicken (I used chicken.)
Cooking Spray
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse 2 oz mozzarella, shallots, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper until blended.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and combine with ground chicken. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Form golfball-sized meatballs from mixture, tucking a little bit of shredded mozzarella into the middle of each one. (If you run out of mozzarella while you are doing this, no big deal.)
Place meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. (The foil is SUPER important. You will thank me when it’s time to clean up.)
Bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Turn on broiler and cook for another 2-3 minutes just to get them a little brown on the top. (Watch them carefully.)
We had these with pasta.
Did I change anything? Yes, a lot. The only thing I didn’t mention at the top of this post is that the original recipe also called for frying them in oil before baking them. I skipped that step, too. Also, I changed the name of the recipe since they are clearly not what they started out to be.
What did the family think? Thumbs up!
Where did the original recipe come from? Food Network Magazine, March 2011, p. 114
photo from Food Network