Mozzarella ~ Basil Meatballs

These baked Mozzarella Basil Meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with mozzarella could be whipped up in a matter of minutes! Serve them with any pasta you love.  Our family loves meatballs, and I do make many different styles. This recipe is one of my favorites. Perfect for those busy nights when you need a quick dinner. It can be easily made in a crockpot or instant pot as well.

You will love these meatballs for these three reasons.

1. These meatballs are a crowd-pleaser. Even picky eaters adore meatballs. Like my kids!!!
2. Mozzarella Basil meatballs are inexpensive but don’t look like a cheap meal.
3. The recipe is a snap to make, especially if you use store-bought meatballs!

Let’s get cooking:

There are not that many ingredients needed. Most of them I usually have at home. This meal is made in two simple steps: meatballs and sauce. Meatballs are fast to make, and you can even skip this step if you have your favorite store-bought meatballs. The taste won’t be the same – PSA It is worth extra 10 minutes to make my own meatballs as they taste much better, and I know exactly what is inside.

Meatballs:

Preheat your oven to 400F. (200C) I sometimes use my small counter oven if I do not feel to bake in my big momma. This will easily fit onto smaller tray for countertop oven/toaster oven.

Mix all ingredients for Meatballs together. If you think “everything bagel” spice is cray cray, trust me. The onion in this spice brings great flavor. I add this spice into every recipe where I use ground meat. Lastly, mix in mozzarella and basil. I love the flavor of basil and always add a bit extra.

• 1 lb ground Turkey
• 1 tsp of dry oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp of everything bagel spice
• 1 cup of Gluten-Free bread crumbs
• 8 oz of diced mozzarella
• 1 egg
• you can add fresh chopped basil as well
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic

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Usually, I can make about 20-25 one-inch big balls. Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven at 200C/400F for 10 minutes. Yes, you can fry them as well. I personally prefer the baked method. If I need to fit them onto a toaster oven sheet since it’s slightly smaller, I make the meatballs slightly bigger. There are no rules on size or shape.

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Fried or baked Meatballs

Which meatball is better? It depends on what you prefer. Each method has its advantages. I prefer baking mine, and here is why. 

1. Baking meatballs in a pan is a time saver. You can fit more meatballs on one sheet pan.
2. You don’t need oil when you bake meatballs, that way, and you have fewer calorific meatballs.
3. They remain perfectly round. Mozzarella does leak out a bit, but not much.
4. You avoid oil splatters when baking your meatballs. Less cleaning around your stove!

The best sauce!

I like to use a heavy bottom skillet, and my favorite is cast iron, as I can use it on the induction cooktop and stick it in the oven if needed to be kept warm later. Again, this sauce is quite easy and fast; combine almost all ingredients. Crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, tomato paste, crushed garlic, and favorite tomato sauce. Let the sauce simmer while meatballs are baking. 10-15 minutes are plenty. The meatballs won’t be all the way cooked. They will finish cooking while simmering in the sauce.

• 2-3 Cloves of minced Garlic
• 1 bunch of fresh basil. More is better
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbs of tomato paste
• 1 can (14oz) of crushed tomatoes
• 4 oz of fresh mozzarella
• 1 jar of your favorite sauce

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Let the sauce bubble up for about 10 minutes, and once the meatballs are done baking transfer them into a tomato sauce. Cover the sauce with a lid and let simmer on low heat till meatballs are fully cooked.

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Dinner is ready

Once the meatballs are fully cooked, please turn off the heat or lower on low heat and add chunks of fresh mozzarella and let it melt. Do not overcook the cheese. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and let the heat work its magic on the herbs—no need for cooking anymore. The heat will release a nice aroma.

Serve your dish with favorite Gluten-Free pasta or even rice taste great.

Cooking tips:

• Feel free to used regular-sized fresh mozzarella or even shredded mozzarella!
• I do recommend using Turkey or chicken ground meat to make it healthy but these meatballs could be made with 100% beef or 100% pork. Keep the rest of the ingredients the same.
• Leftovers are even better than fresh dinner! Just reheat and eat.

Who inspired me?

Suppose you wonder who inspired this delicious recipe. You can find this delicious recipe on Vikalinka’s blog. The only difference she does is by using arugula in the sauce, which I love as well, but did not have at the time of cooking on my hand. I used fresh basil, and it worked great as well.

I hope you did enjoy this Gluten-Free recipe. If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, please. Thank you so much!

Other easy recipes to try

• Czech Schnitzel – Pork Rizek Everybody’s favorite in the Czech Republic and of course in my family!
• Easy to make Bacon Dumplings The perfect Gluten-Free side dish to go with Stuffed Peppers.
• Creamy Marsala Chicken Soup Do you have a craving for a different creamy meal? If you love Chicken Marsala, this soup is perfect for you!!!!

Until next time…!

DOBROU CHUT!

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