Meatball Bombs
These meatball bombs make the perfect game day appetizer or easy weeknight meal with a salad
Servings 16 bombs
Ingredients
For the meatballs - see notes below for using frozen meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1½ kosher salt
- ¼ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- 1½ slices brioche or white bread torn into small pieces or processed into crumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic from 2-3 cloves
- ¾ cup warm tap water
For the pizza dough
- 1 lb homemade pizza dough or store bought homemade dough recipe here
- ½ lb fresh mozzarella or sharp provolone sliced
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Spray a 15x 18 sheet pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl and using clean hands, mix together the ground meat and sausage. Add the egg and seasonings. Mix together thoroughly. Add the warm water right at the end and mix again until well blended.
- Using a somewhere between ¼-1/3 measuring cup or a large cookie scoop, measure out a round of meatball mix. (The meat might be somewhat sticky so periodically rinse your hands in water as you shape the meatballs).
- Slightly flatten the meat in your palm and place a piece of cheese on top of the meat and carefully close the meat around the cheese creating a ball as you go. Slightly roll the ball and place on a prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining meatball bombs. Set aside as you roll out the pizza dough.
- Par bake the meatballs for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Increase the oven temperature to 450.
For the pizza dough
- Defrost the dough as needed and/or let rest at room temperature for a minimum 30 minutes.
- Using a pastry scraper or sharp knife, cut the round of dough in half. Cover the piece you won't be using right away with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- On a floured countertop or board, roll out the pizza dough to approximately a 10½" x 15" rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough horizontally down the middle and then crosswise into 8 pieces. See images in the post above.
- Place one meatball bomb in the center of each piece of dough. Bring in each side one at a time and seal the meatball. Place on a cooking sprayed or oiled sheet pan. Repeat with all the remaining meatballs. You should have approximately 16 meatballs.
- In a small ramekin, add 1 tsp water to the beaten egg and brush over the pizza dough meatball bombs.
- Using the chart in the notes below, bake the meatballs until a thermometer shows the inside is cooked to 165° approximately 20 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite pizza and tomato sauces - see ideas below!
Notes
Yield (all are approximate and depend on volume of meat)
¼ cup measure = 16 meatball bombs
⅓ cup measure = 13-15 meatball bombs
½ cup measure = 12=13 meatball bombs
Cooking times for meatball bombs:
¼ cup meatball mix = 10 minutes par bake and 10 minutes wrapped in dough
⅓ cup meatball mix = 10 minutes par bake and 15 minutes wrapped in dough
½ cup meatball mix = 10 minutes par bake and approx 20 minutes wrapped in dough
Using frozen or store bought meatballs with cheese:
Place a piece of cheese on the square of pizza dough before enclosing the meatball.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with tomato sauce, pesto sauce or alfredo sauce.