Description
Tender and flavorful meatballs filled with spinach and garlic, perfect for a comforting family meal.
Ingredients
- Ground beef or turkey – 1 lb
- Fresh spinach, sautéed – 2 cups
- Garlic, minced – 4 cloves
- Small onion, finely chopped – optional
- Egg – 1 large
- Breadcrumbs – 1 cup
- Grated Parmesan cheese – ½ cup
- Low-moisture mozzarella cubes – 8 oz
- Italian seasoning – 1 tablespoon
- Salt – to taste
- Black pepper – to taste
- Red pepper flakes – ½ teaspoon
- Fresh parsley, chopped – 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat and sauté the spinach until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. If using onion, sauté it alongside the spinach for added depth. Let the mixture cool slightly before combining with the meat.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, sautéed spinach, garlic, onion if used, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix gently until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.
- Scoop portions of the mixture and roll into evenly sized meatballs. Press a small cube of chilled mozzarella into the center of each one and seal gently. Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
Notes
Use chilled mozzarella to keep the cheese from leaking during baking. Let the mixture rest briefly in the fridge for deeper flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 17g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: meatballs, spinach, garlic, comfort food, easy recipe