one meat ball

Because one cannot live on Hoagies & Wings alone (though one can sure try), I brought Pizza Meatballs to today's USC v. Syracuse tailgate. They were inspired by a contribution to last week's tailgate - pizza-flavored Pringles. And in keeping with that theme, these meatballs don't really taste anything like pizza either, but of course, that's not really the point.

That's not to say they weren't good. They were a bit dense - perhaps that's due to the lack of breadcrumbs? The fact that I took out the shredded mozzarella in the original recipe (but kept the smoked in half the batch) to respect a couple cheese-haters? In any case, I'd try a couple different proportions to get a lighter meatball, but the one that is a keeper is the sun-dried tomato-basil-shallot paste. The perfect flavoring. I'd love to turn into a sauce when I have more time - this time it was jarred marinara.

Pizza Meatballs
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

8 oz smoked mozzarella cheese
2 large shallots, chopped
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/3 c. packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 T. tomato paste
3/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dice the smoked mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse the shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the beef and pork and, using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until combined. Form into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs. Insert 1 cube smoked mozzarella into the center of each meatball and form the meat around it, enclosing the cheese.

3. Place the fried meatballs on a baking sheet. Put in the oven and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve immediately with marinara sauce, if desired