Spinach Garlic Meatballs Stuffed With Mozzarella
So basically, once you make these meatballs they will be your go-to dish! I used a combo of 1 lb pork and 1 lb beef which I highly recommend. (You could try lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.) I also used fresh spinach instead of chopped spinach! I also love a splash of milk for tenderness! If your meatball mix should ever be too “wet”, just add a few more bread crumbs. Precooking the spinach in olive oil and garlic added so much flavor to these meatballs. Oh, and stuffing with cheese? Genius! Whoever came up with that idea was one smart cookie! I now use fresh mozzarella in the middle of these spinach meatballs and it is just amazing. I also like to use high quality parmesan cheese from my local butcher. You will start by browning these in a large skillet and finish with a bake in the oven. The taste makes all the difference along with a nice sprinkling of parsley on top once they are golden brown. This made 32 nice sized meatballs (second time I made 24) so you can certainly halve the recipe for less. But another trick is to flash freeze half of them on a cookie sheet and once solid store them in the freezer for another night. Hope you enjoy these spinach garlic meatballs stuffed with mozzarella as much as we did! You have to try them with my favorite tomato sauce and some fresh basil. Sometimes I serve this with sausage, too. Some side salads or vegetables would go well, also. Please share your pictures with me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram if you give these a try!
Here I used packaged mozzarella. I remade them in 2022 with fresh mozarella!
updated July 2022 pics… (Original post was August 6, 2020)
In this version, I browned some Premio sausage just to sear and then finished cooking at 425. I lightly browned the meatballs in a cast iron and then added the sausages along with a jar of Rao’s sauce and some chicken broth. I covered it and let it simmer until cooked through.
You may need:
Cast iron Skillet (Love this HUGE one, no need to fry in batches!! I fit 32 meatballs.)
- 8 ounces baby spinach, fresh
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 T. olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2¼ c. bread crumbs
- 3 eggs (If eggs are small you may need 4)
- splash of milk
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ c. Parmesan
- salt/pepper
- 2 T. olive oil
- mozzarella cheese (cut into small cubes)
- 1 jar Rao's marinara sauce
- Heat oil in a skillet and add spinach.
- Toss to coat and allow it to wilt.
- Add garlic for last minute or 2 until fragrant.
- Remove and chop into small pieces, let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Mix all ingredients except the cheese and sauce.
- Add the spinach/garlic mixture and mix well.
- Roll into meatballs and stuff each one with a small cube of mozzarella.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet and pan fry until the outsides are golden.
- Add some dollops of sauce to the bottom of the pan (as much or little as you like.)
- Cover skillet with foil and transfer to a 350 degree oven to continue cooking until the meatballs reach 165 degrees.
- Serve over pasta!
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