Mac-N-Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

I used a box of macaroni and cheese when I made these balls. Next time, I would make my own. The cheese wasn't as gooey as I would of liked it to be. Overall though, I was very happy with the outcome of this crazy idea that I literally dreamt up one night.



Macaroni and Cheese
Fresh Basil
1 Egg
1/2 package Italian Dressing Mix or 1 T Italian Seasoning
Dried Oregano
CRP
s/p
3-4 cloves Garlic
1 Onion
Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1 lb Ground Meat (I used turkey. Beef, pork, chicken or a combo would also be tasty.)
Cooking oil

Cook your mac and cheese as you normally would, weather with a box mix or by scratch. When the mac-n-cheese is cooked, stir in a handful of chiffonade basil (thinly sliced or ribbons).

Then put the prepared mac and cheese in a storage dish. (I sprayed the dish with non-stick cooking spray first.) Cover and place the dish in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.



After the mac-n-cheese has completely cooled, turn it out of the storage dish onto a cutting board.



Cut the macaroni into cubes about the size of a large die and set them on a tray. Loosely cover the tray and place it in the freezer while you season the meat.



In a large bowl, beat the egg.

Mix all of your spices into the egg mixture.



Use a garlic press or finely chop the garlic and add it to the bowl.

Grate about a quarter of an onion into the bowl using a cheese grater.

Place the meat in the bowl and add a handful of bread crumbs.



Mix everything together. Your clean hands are the best tool for this job.



Retrieve the macaroni and cheese cubes from the freezer.

Set up a work station with the cubes, bowl of meat and a plate or baking sheet topped with plastic or parchment paper to place the balls on after they've been rolled.

Before forming the balls, make an indention with your hand or a spoon in the middle of the meat so that you have equal amounts on both sides of the line. Then mark the middle of each side. Now you have quarters marked. This recipe yields eight balls, so use half of each marked section for one ball. This will ensure evenness.

Now, place a pre-measured amount of meat in the palm of your hand and form it into a patty.



Place a mac-n-cheese cube in the center of the patty.



Wrap the meat up and around the cube.



Seal the meat completely around the macaroni by pinching it together at the top.

Place the stuffed ball on your plate, sealed side down.



Repeat until all of the meatballs are made. Then cover the stuffed balls and place them in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will help them set.



Just before the 20 minute are up, preheat your oven to 350°.

On the stovetop heat just enough oil in a large oven-proof pan to coat the bottom. Don't use too much oil because it will splash in the oven.

Next, place the mac and cheese balls into the hot oil, carefully.



As they cook, turn the balls so that they stay round and evenly brown.



After a few minutes of browning on the stove top, place the pan in your preheated oven.



Bake until the meat is completely cooked through. I don't think these take quite as long to bake as a regular (non-stuffed) meatball this size would. They're not as dense. Check them after 20 minutes and every 10 minutes after that until they're done.



Serve on your favorite sauce with a salad or vegetable (Baked Yellow Squash would go great with these tasty macaroni and cheese stuffed turkey meatballs) and toasted bread.


If you're wondering what I did with the rest of the cubes of mac-n-cheese, well I fried them of course!