Spicy Cheesy Italian Meatballs with a Marinara Sauce Recipe

"Yes, these are just meatballs ... but, they are 'kicked-up' meatballs. These are one of my favorite appetizers. Now, I'm sure you could eat them as a main course. But, I prefer these as appetizers. A crostini (toasted baguette slice), topped with arugula or baby greens and one of the meatballs makes a fantastic appetizer. Or you can just serve them in a bowl with toothpicks and let everyone help themselves. You can also serve the marinara on the side if you prefer that. It's a mix of turkey, spicy sausage, but it has lots of fine diced vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and seasoning. In the style of the 'Italian sausage topped with peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese.' And, for this recipe ... I bake my meatballs, a bit healthier; but you can also pan saute, if you prefer that method. Prep time does include, chilling the meatballs before baking them. I can tell you, these take a bit of time to prepare; but, they can easily be made in advance, and even frozen before serving."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Vegetables ... Add the olive oil to a small saute pan, and add the onion, garlic, green and red bell pepper, celery and saute 1 minute; then, add in the mushrooms and saute another minute. They don't have to be tender ... I just like to give them a head start before adding it to the meatball miox. Remove from heat to cool a bit.

Step 2

Base Mix ... In a large bowl, add the eggs, worcestershire, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and the slightly cooled sauteed vegetables. Then in a small bowl, add the milk and dip each piece of bread in the milk, just a couple of seconds until soft. Squeeze and then break the bread up as you add it to the bowl. Add any leftover milk to the bowl and mix everything until completely combined.

Step 3

Meat Mix ... Add the meat last - you don't want to over mix the meat, it can cause tough meatballs. Gently mix (with your hands) to combine everything; then, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to let all the flavors combine. You don't have to do this, but I find it really makes a better meatball.

Step 4

Cheese ... I prefer mozzarella, but you can also use provolone. Cut the mozzarella brick into small cubes. About 1/4" cubes. These will be added to each meatball. I usually cut it horizontally first, then vertically, and then each cube in half. That gives me the right size; and you should get about 60-64 small cubes. This recipe makes 30-32 1" meatballs; and, I like to stick 2 mozzarella cubes in each meatball. I find those to be the best appetizer size.

Step 5

Meatballs ... Divide the meat mix into 4 sections; basically 8 meatballs per section, since this recipe makes 30-32 1" meatballs. Then separate your mozzarella cubes so each section has 16 cubes. This way, you won't end up with too many meatballs and no cheese. It really helps to do this trust me.

Step 6

Then, make the meatballs. Separate each section into 8 small portions and make the meatballs. Add 2 cubes to each meatball and roll up, making the sure the cheese is inside the ball; not on the outside where it can seep out. Then place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. After all the meatballs are done, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.

Step 7

Bake ... Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, remove your meatballs from the refrigerator and right into the oven (remove the plastic of course). Bake on the middle shelf for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. I do like to turn mine over half way through cooking.

Step 8

Marinara Sauce ... Now, you can make your own; but, a good store bought brand will work just as well. Heat it up in a small pot on the stove. Now, whether you use it as a dip; or you prefer to 'smother' the meatballs in it. That is up to you.

Step 9

Finish and Serve ... As I said, I love to toast up some baguette slices, top with arugula or baby greens dressed with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar; and then one of the meatballs that have been smothered in the sauce. But you can also, plate up the 'balls' and serve the warm marinara on the side. Or, serve as a main course with some pasta as your side dish. ENJOY!

Step 10

Note ... After the meatballs are made; 1) they can be frozen, prior to cooking, 2) frozen after cooking, prior to sauce, or; 3) frozen after being sauced. But if you don't sauce them, you could always use another type of sauce on them another time. They are also good as an appetizer with a cheese/alfredo sauce too.