I had the super fun and unique opportunity to create a cooking demonstration video for a local organization called Young Men's Service League. I have never done one of these before so I was a little nervous, but with a lot of help from my daughter, Hope, I am happy to post my first set of cooking videos on my blog! This is my first featuring my Saucy Cheese Meatballs.
Ingredients for One Pan Saucy Cheesy Meatballs
1 pound lean ground beef
¼ cup pesto
1 14 ounce can of plum tomatoes
1 5 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into slices (or sliced deli mozzarella cheese)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ cup red wine (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Mix the ground beef, pesto, garlic powder and salt and pepper together with your hands.
Divide the meat mixture into 12 pieces and with wet hands roll them into meatballs.
In a non-stick pan add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides (about 3 minutes on each side).
Once the meatballs are golden, pour the tomatoes in, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or crush them with your hands (it's messy but effective) and add ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup red wine. Taste sauce for seasoning.
Bring sauce to a boil, put the sliced mozzarella cheese on top of each meatball, place the lid on the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, leave for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce and melt the cheese.
If you want to make this with buns, butter your buns and place in a dry skillet over medium low heat for about 3-5 minutes until they are golden.
Optional: spread a little pesto on each bun, then top with the cheesy meatballs and sauce.