While I was searching for slow cooker recipes online, I came across this one from Paula Deen for Cheese Stuffed Meatballs. I made them for dinner yesterday and they were so incredibly good. This is definitely my new favorite way to make meatballs. You can skip the step of putting the cheese in the middle if you don’t have any, and they are just as tasty!
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 4 tablespoons fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 to 1½ cups Italian dry bread crumbs
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped (I used dried basil instead of fresh)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (I used dried parsley instead of fresh)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, divided into 12 pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 jars of your favorite red sauce
- Mix the first 11 ingredients together in a large bowl. Don't over mix because your meatballs will turn out tough, but just mix it enough to where everything is combined really well.
- Form the meatballs and press a hole in the center of each with your thumb.
- Insert a piece of the mozzarella cheese in the hole and then pinch the meat over the hole and roll to fix it back into "meatball" shape.
- Drizzle the olive oil into a skillet and brown meatballs. Remember, you aren't actually cooking the meatballs, just barely browning them.
- Transfer meatballs to your slow cooker.
- Pour in spaghetti sauce and cover.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
- Serve over pasta.
You might also enjoy these slow cooker recipes for fish!
Using a slow cooker for dinner recipes not only makes cooking easier, but it also saves money on your power bill by not using the oven. Check out these Best Slow Cooker Recipes.
(Thanks Paula Deen!)