Jumbo Cheesy Italian Meatballs Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy based casserole dish and add only half the carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in passata, tomato paste and water, simmer for 5 minutes.
• For the meatballs: Combine the remaining carrot, onion and garlic with mince, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg and seasonings. Knead thoroughly with your hands until the mixture is very sticky, shape the mixture into golf ball sized balls and stuff each with one cube of cheddar ensuring that the cheese is fully enclosed. (Moistening your hands with water helps here in shaping the balls).
• Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce, cook over low heat, covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve meatballs sprinkled with parsley and parmesan, over spaghetti or just accompanied with seasonal vegetables or a salad.

Steps:

• Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pulse the bread in a food processor to make coarse crumbs. Transfer to a small bowl, add the milk and set aside to soak. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the beef, parsley, parmesan, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes; mix with your hands to combine. Add the bread-milk mixture and mix until just combined (do not overmix). Dampen your hands and shape the meat mixture into 4 large balls. Make an indentation in the center of each with your thumb and stuff with a mini mozzarella ball, then mold the meat around the cheese. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake until browned and firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, the basil sprigs and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the sauce, spooning some of the sauce on top. Continue cooking, occasionally spooning the sauce over the meatballs, until tender and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Serve with ricotta and chopped basil. You can form all of these meatballs a day ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.