Stuffed fried meatballs 

Crispy outside and soft inside, meatballs stuffed with cheese are a particularly appetizing second course. Indeed, like any self-respecting meatball, these also represent a clever anti-waste solution, which allows us to dispose of both meat and cheese leftovers in one fell swoop. How many times have you been scolded for eating straight from the pan?

Sometimes preparing dinner or inventing a second or special side dish is a moment, just look in the pantry and see what's there. In my pantry I found leftover bread and I remembered the meatballs that are served stuffed or not. Alternatively, for a lighter proposal you can make them baked and for a tasty variant also with sauce. 

 Today I propose an easy and tasty second course: meatballs stuffed with cheese. These are mixed meatballs stuffed with a cube of cheese (I chose mozzarella), fried and then cooked in a pan with a little tomato puree. This dish can also be served on sundays and the beautiful figure is assured! Stuffed fried meatballs are a rich and tasty second course, characterized by a stringy heart and a crunchy crust. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

For meatballs

250 g Minced beef

250 g Minced pork

2 Eggs

30 g breadcrumbs

40 g grated Grana Padano cheese

1 pinch Garlic powder

1 sprig Parsley

Nutmeg

Salt

Pepper

100 g mozzarella

For flouring and frying

Flour

Peanut oil

For the sauce

350 ml Tomato puree

1 clove Garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Oregano

Salt

1 sprig Parsley

Preparation

Cut the mozzarella into cubes. In a bowl put the two qualities of meat, eggs, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, garlic powder (alternatively 1 clove of garlic chopped), a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper, mix well with your hands. Form meatballs as big as apricots (about 40 g each), in the middle of which you will sink 1 cube of mozzarella; Knead them in your hands to close the cheese well inside each meatball. Pass the meatballs in a layer of flour and place them, gradually, in a tray.

Fry the meatballs

In a pan heat the seed oil (alternatively extra virgin olive oil) and brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them gently. As they are ready, place them on sheets of absorbent paper, to remove excess oil.

Prepare the sauce

Peel the clove of garlic and brown it in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the tomato puree and stretch with a little water; salted and scented with a few pinches of oregano, or fresh or frozen basil.

Complete the cooking

As soon as the sauce starts boiling, add the meatballs, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn from time to time and if the sauce should dry out too much, add a little water, bearing in mind that, at the end of cooking, the sauce must be restricted. For this reason it is important to use a non-stick pan, so that, although the sauce is not abundant and thick enough, it does not stick to the bottom. At the end of cooking, add a sprig of washed and chopped parsley. Remove from heat and serve your plate of meatballs stuffed with hot cheese and a cup of tomato sauce.