Cheese-Stuffed Meatball Sliders with Homemade Marinara

Is there anything better than something stuffed with cheese? In my opinion, NO. Meatballs are pretty versatile and can be used in several dishes; lasagna, pasta, sliders, subs, pizza, as an appetizer by itself. So, when I make meatballs, I make a bigger batch, some to serve for dinner, and some to freeze for a later dinner.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatball Sliders

2 lbs 85/15 ground beef, thawed
2 eggs
3/4 c Italian bread crumbs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion, diced small
1 T Kosher salt
1/2 T ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 lb Muenster cheese, cut into 1/4 inch chunks, at least 24 pieces


In a large mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients with your hands (except the Muenster cheese).
Mix until all ingredients are mixed into ground beef. Roll into golf-ball sized meatballs. With your finger, poke a hole into the ball and stuff with a piece of Muenster cheese. Roll again to close the ball so the cheese does not show.

Heat a large skillet on med-high heat with 1 T vegetable oil. In batches, making sure not to crowd your pan, brown the meatballs on each side. They will NOT cook through. The rest of the cooking time will be in the sauce. Make sure you get a nice brown crust on each side of the meatball.

Yields about 24 meatballs

Marinara Sauce


1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 medium onion, diced
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
5 basil leaves minced
1 TBSP honey
olive oil

In a large saucepan, (large enough to hold sauce and all meatballs), heat up 1 TBSP Olive Oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and sweat them for about 2-3 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes, sauce, seasonings and honey. Stir all together. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer.

When all meatballs are browned, add them to the marinara sauce and allow them to cook through over low heat for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve on a small, soft roll, or sub roll. Can top with extra cheese if you would like it.