Meatball Inside A Meatball Food

MEATBALL-STUFFED BISCUITS

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the pork, Parmesan, salt, fennel seeds, garlic, onion, paprika, crushed red pepper, egg, parsley and a few turns of black pepper and mix to combine. It's easiest to do this with your hands. Form into 16 balls, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Flatten each biscuit with your palm, add a half piece of mozzarella and top with a meatball. Pinch the edges of the dough around each meatball to seal. Place seam-side down in a 9-inch square baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
• When the biscuits have baked for 30 minutes, brush them with the butter mixture, sprinkle with the parsley, Parmesan and some flaky salt and continue to bake until golden and cooked through, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool slightly and serve with warm marinara for dipping.

EXCELLENT MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! YUM!
• Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
• Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• Yield: 2 quarts

MEATBALL-STUFFED FOOTBALL BREAD

Steps:

• Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk together the garlic, milk, parsley, Parmesan, crushed red pepper, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the beef and use your hands to mix everything together until well combined.
• Drop heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture onto the prepared baking sheets (you should have about 40 mounds). Use slightly damp hands to roll the mounds into balls. Bake until just browned and almost cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Bring the marinara to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, bring back to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Discard the parchment from the baking sheets and wipe one baking sheet clean. Coat the back of the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Using your hands, spread one package of dough into a 15-by-12-inch rectangle on the baking sheet (it should be about the size of the baking sheet). Draw the outline of a football shape in the dough, about 1- inches-wide and 15-inches-long. Spoon half of the meatballs, tapping off any excess sauce, inside of the football outline on top of the dough. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
• On a lightly greased surface, spread the remaining package of dough into a rectangle big enough to cover the meatballs. Place the dough on top of the meatballs and press the dough together around the meatballs. Cut out the football shape leaving a 1-inch border around the edges, reserve the scraps. Tuck and tightly secure the edges underneath the dough to prevent any cheese from leaking out.
• Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the top of the football with the egg wash. Pour the sesame seeds onto a plate.
• Using the scraps, roll out two 12-inch-long ropes to make the lines for the football. Gently roll the strips in the sesame seeds to coat. Press the ropes on the sides of the football, widthwise, so they are about 9-inches apart. Roll out one 9-inch-long rope and then roll in the sesame seeds. Place the rope lengthwise in between the two widthwise ropes. Roll out three 3-inch-long ropes then roll them in the sesame seeds. Place the ropes equidistance apart on top of the 9-inch rope.
• Mix the butter with the garlic salt and brush the entire football. Bake until the dough is a deep golden brown and completely cooked through, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

MEATBALL BUBBLE BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Separate dough into 8 biscuits.
• Separate each biscuit into 2 layers.
• Press each biscuit layer to form a 3-inch round.
• Place 1 meatball half, cut side up, and 1 string cheese piece in center of each dough round.
• Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal.
• Place seam side down in single layer in ungreased 8 or 9-inch round cake pan.
• Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
• Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center.
• Remove from pan.
• Serve warm biscuits with warm marinara sauce for dipping.