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Cozy Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are slow cooked to tender, moist perfection! Serve them as an appetizer, as part of a spaghetti dinner, or in a meatball sub. My family can't get enough of these cheese stuffed meatballs, and I bet yours will ask for them again, too!
Jump to:
- Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
- Why stuff meatballs with mozzarella cheese?
- Mozzarella Meatballs Ingredients
- Sauce for Meatballs with Cheese
- Stuffed Meatball Recipe Instructions
- Stuffed Mozzarella Meatballs Tips
- Baked Stuffed Meatballs
- Stuffed Meatballs FAQ
- How to Store Leftover Stuffed Meatballs
- More Sauces for Stuffed Meatballs
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Reviews
Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
If you follow my blog, I bet you noticed a trend: my family is crazy about meatballs. Any time I ask Ron what he wants for dinner, his answer is always my red sauce recipe with Italian-style meatballs. (I don't know why I even ask anymore!)
The only thing he loves more is when I make mozzarella stuffed meatballs to go with the sauce, and I can't say I blame him. You really can't go wrong with stuffing meatballs with cheese. The meatballs are fluffy and flavorful, and the ooey, gooey cheese makes every bite extra decadent. This is one cozy dinner!
My secret to making the perfect cheese-stuffed meatballs? The slow cooker. Making these meatballs in the slow cooker cooks them to perfection with hardly any effort. How's that for a perfect Sunday dinner? Of course, you can make them in the oven too, if you prefer!
Why stuff meatballs with mozzarella cheese?
Stuffed meatballs are easy to make
Believe it or not, this stuffed meatball recipe is easy to make. It's honestly unfair to normal meatballs how easy it is to make stuffed meatballs! You're basically just making your usual meatball recipe and adding cheese to the center.
You can make cheese stuffed meatballs ahead
The first thing I do with any recipe I add to my home menu is test whether or not I can freeze it. Good news: you can totally freeze these cheesy meatballs. Whip up a big batch, freeze them, and then when you're ready to serve, thaw and bake.
You can use turkey, and the results are great
Cooking with ground turkey and ground chicken has a notorious reputation for the meat drying out, but that won't happen with these stuffed meatballs. The meatballs stay tender and juicy even if you use turkey. So, feel free to swap out the beef for turkey, if you prefer!
I don’t know how to post a photo. It was even more delicious than I expected. Thanks again for posting this. Fed a couple of friends who (ironically) looked surprised and kept saying how delicious it was. Highly recommend.
Pinterest review
Mozzarella Meatballs Ingredients
- Ground beef: For beef, I prefer to use 80/20 blend ground beef, but 70/30 works well, too. This makes the best stuffed meatballs.
- Ground sausage: One of the secrets to great flavor in these meatballs is using sausage! I tend to use ground Italian sausage, but you can also use hot sausage or even sage sausage if you prefer.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use Italian breadcrumbs, panko, or make your own bread crumbs with lightly toasted bread, an Italian seasoning blend, and a food processor or blender.
- Onion: Finely diced onion adds liquid and tons of zesty flavor. You can also use onion flakes, but you'll need to add extra liquid to the meatballs.
- Parmesan Cheese: Why not add a little extra cheese right into the meatball mix? Parmesan not only adds great flavor, but also melts and then hardens again, working like a binder.
- Onion powder: Onion powder is mild and sweet, adding a mellow flavor that pairs well with the fresh onion.
- Garlic powder: I find garlic powder has a better flavor for meatballs than fresh garlic, as it tends to be nice and mild, and doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors.
- Thyme: Fresh herbs are the best if you can get them! However, dried will also work well, as they will fully hydrate during the cook time.
- Oregano: Oregano brings in that classic Italian flavor! Be careful not to add too much, as it has a very strong taste.
- Salt and pepper: Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper add more depth of flavor, bringing out the best of the beef. I recommend using sea salt flakes.
- Eggs: You'll want one large egg per pound of meat. If you're scaling up the recipe, use another egg per pound of meat.
- Mozzarella cubes: I like to slice mozzarella cheese sticks into cubes. They're the perfect size, and hold up well. Plus, the low moisture means the meat clings well, which isn't the case with mozzarella balls.
- Milk: I recommend whole or 2% milk, as the high fat and protein make it a great binder.
- Parsley: A little fresh parsley really emphasizes the Italian flavors of these mozzarella meatballs.
- Optional: Fresh basil
Using other ground meats
Change up the meat by using ground turkey, ground pork, Italian sausage, or ground chicken! Because they cook for a long time, even chicken or turkey will be thoroughly cooked and stay moist.
Sauce for Meatballs with Cheese
- Crushed tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Basil
- Oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: Red wine
Making your own sauce is super simple, super easy, and tastes so much better than jarred or canned sauce. I highly recommend making your own! But, if you're in a hurry, feel free to use your favorite canned or jarred sauce.
Stuffed Meatball Recipe Instructions
1: Make Sauce for Meatballs
Add all sauce ingredients to your slow cooker and stir well, then set to high and cover. If you're making stove top tomato sauce instead, use a soup pot and set it over medium high heat.
2: Mix Meatballs
In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese. Using your hands, mix until well combined. Mix for no more than 35-40 seconds; over-mixing will result in tough, dry meatballs.
3: Form Meatballs
Take golf ball-sized pieces of the meatball mixture and roll into balls using your hands. You can lightly oil your hands with spray oil to keep them from sticking.
4: Stuff Meatballs with Cheese
Press a chunk of Mozzarella cheese into the center of the meatball. Mold the meat around the cheese until it's fully enclosed, rolling again to ensure it's completely closed. Repeat until the meat is used up.
5: Add Meatballs to Sauce
Open the slow cooker lid. Set the meatballs inside and submerge them in the sauce completely. Alternatively, if you want to make stuffed meatballs on the stove, place them in the sauce pot and submerge in sauce.
6: Cook Stuffed Meatballs
Return the lid, and cook on high for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is fully cooked. On the stove, cook for 30 minutes until fully cooked. Check the meatball internal temperature with a Meat Thermometer to ensure it's safe to eat!
7: Serve and Enjoy
Once cooked, ladle out the meatballs on to your favorite pasta if desired or serve in a delicious meatball sub. Pour sauce on top, and enjoy!
Stuffed Mozzarella Meatballs Tips
- Make sure not to over-work the meat! Mixing until completely smooth means the proteins break down too much, turning the meat dry, tough, and dense. Only mix for 35-40 seconds, until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs, or making your own by popping a few slices of gluten-free bread in the blender.
- You can swap out the cheese sticks for different flavors. I like to use Pepper Jack cheese sticks for a spicy meatball, perfect for pairing with spicy marinara. Or try out Colby Jack or Gouda!
- I don't recommend using mozzarella pearls. While they're soft and tender, the high moisture content can make the meatballs fall apart. Cheese sticks work best.
- Change up the sauce! I've included a list of all my favorite sauces for meatballs below. Even if you don't like red sauce, there will be a sauce for you!
Baked Stuffed Meatballs
If you would rather prepare your meatballs on the stove or in the oven, or don't have a crockpot, you can follow the included instructions for cooking these on the stove. Alternatively, you can skip cooking them in the sauce and instead cook them right in the oven by following the cooking steps for my Baked Meatballs!
Love fun meatball recipes? Try my Korean Meatballs next!
Stuffed Meatballs FAQ
Balancing the flavorings and textures! Use a blend of binders like bread, eggs, and milk to keep them fluffy. Flavor comes from a mix of herbs, meat, sauce, and other possible additions like using sausage meat. Finally, make sure to use cheese sticks or cubed block cheese for stuffing the meatballs.
Meatballs bind together through the use of eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs. The eggs are the most important part, as they stay soft until the meatballs start cooking, which allows you to shape the meatballs perfectly. Milk adds fat, and the breadcrumbs add in gluten, which is a great binder, as well as being nice and soft once cooked.
Eggs are critical as a binder, but adding too many can absolutely make your meatballs tough! Roughly one egg per pound of meat will make for the perfect meatballs. Any more and the meatballs won't be airy and fluffy at all, but dense and chewy.
Yes! For stuffed meatballs, you'll want to cook them low for 6 hours. Unstuffed meatballs have a different cooking time, as they have more meat to cook through. You'll want to cook them on low for 8-9. Check out my guide to beef temps for more info.
How to Store Leftover Stuffed Meatballs
I recommend eating stuffed meatballs the day you make them, as reheating the meatballs to the point of the cheese melting again can be difficult once they're cold. If you make more than you're going to eat, freeze the excess meatballs before cooking them!
- Refrigerator: Leftover meatballs can be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: I recommend freezing any excess meatballs before cooking them to preserve the texture of the cheese.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat these meatballs to keep the inside melty and the outside juicy is to put them in a pot with sauce and let them simmer. Pierce the meatballs with a knife or skewer to determine when the cheese has melted.
Freezing Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
- Prepare the meatballs by mixing the meat and shaping them, then stuffing them with cheese.
- Place the meatballs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and place it in the freezer.
- Once frozen, move the meatballs to a freezer-safe plastic bag and label it to make sure you know what they are!
- To thaw, place the bag in the fridge overnight. Don't bother cooking them from frozen, as it will take too long for the inside of the cheese to get warm, and will result in overcooked meat.
- Once thawed, cook as normal!
Meal prep meatballs are a breeze and one of my favorite freezer meal recipes! By using low moisture mozzarella sticks, the cheese will retain its nice melty texture even after being frozen, unlike other cheeses that will split.
More Sauces for Stuffed Meatballs
- Dijon Sauce - A tangy, zesty mustard sauce truly brings out the best in beef, and it's even better paired with melty cheese.
- Mixed Peppercorns Sauce - Made for steak, this bright and bold sauce is perfect with beef and makes for a great alternative to red sauce. I like adding a little nutmeg for Swedish meatball inspired sauce.
- Pesto for meatballs - Pesto is a classic on pasta, and it's just beautiful combined with cheesy meatballs!
- If you're feeding picky eaters, try out my parmesan alfredo! You can't go wrong with just a little more cheese, after all!
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 1 lb. Ground beef
- 1 lb. Ground sausage - mild
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup Onion - chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Thyme - dried
- 1 teaspoon Oregano - dried
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Eggs
- 4 sticks Mozzarella string cheese - cut into 4-5 pieces each
- ½ cup Whole milk
- ½ cup Parsley - fresh, chopped
For Sauce
- 7 cups Crushed tomato
- ⅓ cup Onion - chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic - crushed
- 2 teaspoons Basil - dried
- 1 teaspoon Oregano - dried
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Add all the sauce ingredients into the slow cooker and stir well, then set to high and cover while prepping the meatballs.7 cups Crushed tomato,⅓ cup Onion,2 cloves Garlic,2 teaspoons Basil,1 teaspoon Oregano,½ teaspoon Salt,½ teaspoon Pepper
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese. Mix with hands until well combined.1 lb. Ground beef,1 lb. Ground sausage,1 cup Breadcrumbs,⅓ cup Onion,¼ cup Parmesan,1 teaspoon Onion powder,1 teaspoon Garlic powder,1 teaspoon Thyme,1 teaspoon Oregano,½ teaspoon Salt,½ teaspoon Pepper,2 Eggs,½ cup Whole milk,½ cup Parsley
- Separate out golfball sized pieces of the meatball mixture and roll into a ball in your hands.
- Press a piece of mozzarella cheese into the center of the meatball. Mold the meat around the cheese until it's fully enclosed, then roll again to form a ball. Repeat until the meat is used up.4 sticks Mozzarella string cheese
- Open the slow cooker lid, and set all the meatballs inside and submerge in the cause completely.
- Return the lid, and cook on high for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is fully cooked.
- Serve with sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure not to over-work the meat! Mixing until completely smooth means the proteins break down too much, turning the meat dry, tough, and dense. Only mix for 35-40 seconds, until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs, or making your own by popping a few slices of gluten-free bread in the blender.
- You can swap out the cheese sticks for different flavors. I like to use Pepper Jack cheese sticks for a spicy meatball, perfect for pairing with spicy marinara. Or try out Colby Jack or Gouda!
- I don't recommend using mozzarella pearls. While they're soft and tender, the extremely high moisture can make the meatballs fall apart.
- Change up the sauce! I've included a list of all my favorite sauces for meatballs below. Even if you don't like red sauce, I've included something for you!
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