Shelly's Recipe

CHEESE STUFFED MEATBALLS AND SAUCE - Crock pot

Category: Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
4 tbsp fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 to 1 1/2 cups Italian dry bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 oz fresh mozzarella, divided into 12 pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
2 jars of your favorite red sauce
2 lbs spaghetti, cooked al dente

In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley and dried oregano. Add bread crumbs 1/2 cup at a time until mixture is not too wet and can be formed into balls easily.

Form mixture into 12 balls using your thumb to press a hole in the center. Insert a piece of the fresh mozzarella into the hole and close the hole by pushing the meatball mixture around it to secure the mozzarella inside each ball.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and drizzle olive oil into it. Add meatballs and cook until just browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs into a slow cooker. Pour red sauce over the meatballs and cook on LOW for approximately 5 hours. Serve the stuffed meatballs and sauce over spaghetti. Servings: 6