Cheese Filled Baked Meatballs

Not much to say today, but just in case you haven’t made up your mind about what to cook, this is what we’re fixing for supper tonight in the Fromage household:

Cheese Filled Baked Meatballs

Ingredients

1 package ground beef (I use 80/20)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 mozzarella string cheese sticks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ½ of the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Mix until well blended. Divide the meatball mixture into 10 meatballs (about the size of a golf ball).

Place the remaining bread crumbs into a small bowl and cut the string cheese into 10 equal pieces (about ¾ inch). Using your (clean!) finger, in each meatball create a hold to add a piece of string cheese. Shape the meatballs into rounds, being careful to cover the cheese, roll in the bread crumbs and place the meatballs in individual, miniature muffin tin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Serve over warm pasta with Emeril Lagasse’s Gaaahlic Pasta Sauce (yummy!), French bread and caprese salad. I’ll be making this caprese salad tonight instead of our usual, which is half of the salad with standard olive oil and balsamic, the other half drizzled with pesto.