Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Cozy Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are cooked to tender perfection! Serve them as an appetizer, for spaghetti dinner, or in a meatball sub.

Course Main Course, Slow Cooker Beef Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese stuffed meatballs, meatballs stuffed with cheese, Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs, Stuffed Meatballs

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 50

Servings

Calories 782kcal

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!

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!