Making meatballs is a quick and easy way to create a tasty meal for the whole family. However, when you add a twist to a classic recipe you can turn a traditional meal into an instant favorite.

You’ll love these cheesy mozzarella-stuffed meatballs, cooked in a lovely Italian-style tomato sauce. They’re easy to make and they taste great!

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 pound (500g) ground beef
2 bacon rashers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.5 pints (700ml) tomato passata (sieved tomatoes)
14oz (400g) tinned chopped tomatoes
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Finely grated parmesan cheese

Making the Sauce:
Add a little olive oil into a large frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Add 1 onion and the crushed garlic cloves to the pan and fry lightly until the onion starts to soften.

Pour in the passata and the tinned chopped tomatoes and stir through with a wooden spoon. Add the basil leaves and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce gently for 10 minutes. Remember to stir the sauce occasionally while it’s simmering.

Making the Meatballs:
Add a bit of olive oil into a small frying pan and add 1 chopped onion and the finely chopped bacon rashers. Cook these over a medium heat until the bacon is golden. Remove the bacon and onion from the pan and allow them to cool.

Tip: You should pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C) now.

In a large bowl, add the ground beef and breadcrumbs. Combine these ingredients together well until the breadcrumbs are mixed through. Then add the bacon and onion and combine these into the mixture.

Lightly beat one egg in a cup and pour this into the ground beef mixture. Mix together well. If the mixture is too dry to roll into balls, add a few drops of olive oil to help it form properly.

Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Use a teaspoon to dig a small hole into the side of each meatball and fill with grated mozzarella cheese. Roll the beef mixture back over the cheese to enclose the meatball fully.

Baking and serving:
Place the meatballs into a lightly greased baking dish and cook in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs. Place the baking dish back into the oven for another 35 to 40 minutes, or until the meatballs are completely cooked.

Serve on cooked pasta or by itself in large bowls, have some Parmesan cheese on hand for those that would like to sprinkle it over the top.

Copyright © Sarah on NiceAnswers.com 2017

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