Description
Delicious spinach garlic meatballs stuffed with gooey mozzarella and flavored with Italian seasoning, perfect as a hearty main course or appetizer everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey (lean turkey can be used as substitute)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, sautéed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (oats or almond flour can be used)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz low-moisture mozzarella cubes, chilled
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Optional Enhancements
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Sauté Spinach and Garlic: Heat a skillet over medium heat and sauté the fresh spinach with minced garlic until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, then finely chop the spinach.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, egg, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and the chopped spinach mixture. Stir gently until just combined to avoid tough meatballs.
- Form Meatballs with Cheese: Take a portion of the meat mixture and encase a chilled mozzarella cube inside, ensuring the meat completely seals the cheese. Repeat to form all meatballs.
- Cook Meatballs: Choose to either bake the meatballs at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes or pan-sear them in a little oil over medium-high heat for 8 minutes per side until fully cooked and browned.
- Optional Simmer in Sauce: For extra flavor, simmer cooked meatballs in warm marinara sauce for 10 minutes before serving.
- Rest Meatballs: Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes after cooking to retain their juiciness before serving.
Notes
- Use chilled mozzarella cubes to prevent cheese from leaking during cooking.
- Avoid overmixing the meat mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- Sautéing spinach enhances its flavor and moisture removal for better texture.
- Ground turkey can be substituted for beef for a leaner option.
- Simmering meatballs in marinara sauce adds extra moisture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
