Hello, the perfect game-day snack.
Or the perfect dinner. Or the perfect reheated, I-just-came-home-from-the-bar snack. Or the ideal hungover breakfast—cold.
I love you.
And I don’t even usually love meatballs. So this is huge. But I adore you because you’re tucked into an adorable toasted bun and stuffed with double the cheese. You make me want meatballs every day.
Meatballs and small things. Lots of cute, bite-sized delights.
I hesitated to show you this slightly messy picture, but it’s fine if your mozzarella oozes out of the meatballs.
This is my kitchen reality: cakes overflow in the oven, cookies flatten, yeast doesn’t always proof, and cheese sometimes squirts out of meatballs. As unglamorous as it sounds, it happens all the time here. It’s also a perfectly valid excuse for an extra glass of wine.
Everything is better in slider form, right? These meatballs are quick to prepare and can be ready in under an hour. Make half the batch for an easy weeknight dinner, or triple it for your football party. They’re versatile and taste like a bite-sized version of spaghetti and meatballs—without the noodles. Just don’t forget to invite me over.
Cheesy Stuffed Meatball Sliders
15 meatballs
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2/3 cup romano cheese
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 ounces mozzarella, cut into cubes + more for topping
- 3 cups your favorite pasta sauce
- 12–15 slider buns or dinner rolls
- Basil for garnish/topping
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, olive oil, romano cheese, panko, minced garlic, salt, pepper, dried basil and dried parsley. Gently mix with your hands until just combined—avoid overmixing to keep the meatballs tender. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray and spread 2 cups of pasta sauce across the bottom.
Form the meat mixture into golf ball–sized portions (about 3 tablespoons each). Press a cube of mozzarella into the center of each portion and seal the meat around the cheese. Place each meatball in the sauce in the baking dish. When all meatballs are arranged, sprinkle additional mozzarella and a little panko over the top.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese is melted. Serve on toasted slider buns with extra sauce and fresh basil. Enjoy warm.
Did you make this recipe?
I appreciate you so much!
I’ll bring the wine.