Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs and Homemade Red Sauce

 

Last week we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary and (of course) I chose to cook dinner for us. My husband loves spaghetti, so I decided to kick it up a notch (thanks Emerile) by making cheese-stuffed meatballs to go along with the homemade sauce.

Don't be alarmed by the long list of ingredients. I added seasonings to ground turkey to make a more healthy Italian sausage. If you want to use store-bought beef/pork Italian sausage, you can delete all of the ingredients listed above "ground turkey."

Ingredients for Meatballs

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 9 bocconcini mozzarella balls (or string cheese cut into bite-size pieces)

Instructions for Spaghetti Sauce

This one is easy. Combine all ingredients except the mozzarella in a large mixing bowl. Divide into 9 equal portions.

Form one portion at a time into a ball. Cup it in your hand, make a slight indention with your thumb, and then place one piece of cheese in the dent. Form the meat around the cheese to completely cover it.

Place the meatballs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients for Spaghetti Sauce

• 2 14-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
• 2 6-ounce cans of tomato paste
• 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dry red wine (NOT cooking wine!)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't burn. If the sauce seems to be sticking, stir in a little water.

Here are my meatballs. A few of them leaked a bit, but there were no blow-outs. 

Instructions for Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the meatballs in a lightly-greased baking dish. I used an 8-inch x 10-inch casserole dish. A nine-inch dish would be ideal. There should be some space between the meatballs--don't let them touch.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 

Stir into the sauce. Cook your pasta of choice, and enjoy. 

“Buon appetito”