Cheesy Meatball Parmesan in Red Sauce

Meatball Parmesan is more than just a sandwich. This recipe for Cheesy Meatball Parmesan in Red Sauce can be made as a delicious appetizer or as a great family dinner. Serve as is for an appetizer or with a side of pasta to make it a meal.

Large Italian meatballs are cooked to perfection in a savory red sauce and topped with copious amounts of melted cheese. Topped with fresh chopped parsley, it's perfect for your next party, game day or dinner. You may even life some other meatball recipes such as Easy BBQ Meatballs, Grape Jelly Meatballs, or even this recipe for Salisbury Steak Meatballs.

Jump to:

• What are Italian meatballs made of?
• How do meatballs become tough?
• How to cook meatballs?
• Ingredients Needed
• Equipment Needed
• Storage Tips
• Meatball Parmesan
• About Michelle

What are Italian meatballs made of?

Italian meatballs are usually made of a blend of ground meats such as ground beef and ground pork. This blend gives the meatballs their distinct flavor and helps balance out the fat content as well. Don't get me wrong, all beef meatballs are delicious, but using a blend of meats creates a more complex flavor.

If you are making these from scratch, most grocery stores will have these ground meats. If you are using frozen (no judgement here!) ensure that you are using an Italian meatball variety.

How do meatballs become tough?

• They are overcooked
• They are made with too lean of a meat
• The meatballs were over mixed
• The meatballs didn't have enough breadcrumbs and milk

How to cook meatballs?

1. Baking: Place all meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through. This method is great if you want an easy cleanup and a hands off route. If you like a crispy experior, this may not be the method for you.
2. Pan Fried: In a large cast iron, add cooking oil and brown all meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. This is the best method for crispy outsides, however you have twice as many dishes to clean. (You can also cook meatballs completely in the frying pan)
3. Cooked in Sauce: add uncooked meatballs to red sauce and simmer for 20 minutes, turning so that all sides are cooked through. This is the best method if you want juicy flavorful meatballs.
4. From Frozen: add frozen meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 25 minutes or until cooked and warmed through. This will ensure the frozen meatballs do not dry out and gives them additional seasoning.

Ingredients Needed

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Oven Safe Baking Dish

Storage Tips

Fridge: Store Meatball Parmesan in the fridge for up to 4 days. Place leftovers in an airtight container to store. To reheat, microwave until warmed through.

Freezer: Store meatballs in an airtight container for up to 2 months. To reheat, defrost in the microwave until warmed through.

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