It’s Friday and we’re eating cheese.
And meatballs. Those little rounds of flavor somehow sound less appealing when I say “balls of meat,” but they kept showing up on our menu last week.
Whenever I hear “meat” and “cheese” together, I can’t help but picture Melissa McCarthy’s scene in Bridesmaids — “Do you want this bear sandwich? It’s full of meats and cheeses.” This isn’t that over-the-top sandwich, but it did make me grin.
You wouldn’t believe how many times we ate meatballs last week. Four times in seven days — unplanned, but true. I don’t always crave meatballs because tomato sauce isn’t my favorite, but sometimes the craving hits and when it does, I go with it.
One night Eddie actually asked for meatballs for dinner — rare, since he usually lets me choose. I planned on serving pasta the first night and using leftovers for meatball subs the next day.
That’s exactly what we did, and both meals were fantastic. Then, in classic February fashion, we ran into more meatballs: a birthday party on Sunday and my mom served them again at a Super Bowl get-together. By the end of the weekend, we were officially meatballed-out.
But we still had a few leftover meatballs at home, and the thought of tossing them felt wasteful. So I turned them into a grilled cheese.
I worried it might be too similar to a meatball sub or to meatball sliders, but it wasn’t. Yes, there are still meatballs, and yes there’s cheese and a touch of sauce, but the buttery, toasty bread and the melty cheese changed everything. The sandwich’s crispy exterior and gooey interior set it apart — meatball subs showcase the meatballs; this sandwich is about the cheese.
And honestly, focusing on cheese might be one of the few worthwhile life goals.
Spicy Mini Meatball Grilled Cheese
Yield:
2
appropriately, 1 obnoxiously
45 mins
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/3 cup romano cheese
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sandwiches
- 2 tablespoons softened butter for spreading
- 4 slices seedy whole grain bread, or your favorite bread
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
- 2 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
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To make the meatballs, combine the beef, romano cheese, panko, garlic, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until just combined — don’t overwork the meat — and form meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, then brown the meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes total (they won’t be fully cooked yet).
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Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the diced tomatoes, butter and another pinch of salt and pepper, stir, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. After simmering, the meatballs will be cooked through and saucy enough for sandwiches.
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To assemble the grilled cheese, spread about 1/2 tablespoon softened butter on the outside of each bread slice. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. On the inside of one slice, add grated fontina, place a few meatballs (halved if you prefer), top with a bit more fontina and the second slice of bread. Cook the sandwich until the bread is golden and toasty and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
I think it’s just the cutest little sandwich — crunchy, cheesy, and perfectly satisfying when you don’t want to waste leftovers.