Meatball Sliders

I ate real food on Saturday after a week of not being able to eat much; and, I went all out. Because Nick and I are building a house we need to watch every single penny we have. Therefore, we decided to cut the eating out fund almost immediately. Nick and I enjoy having a nice dinner out, but I usually get filled up on appetizers. I cannot help myself. I tell myself every time we go into a restaurant that I will bypass the appetizers and enjoy a real meal, but it never happens. Something catches my eye and before I know it I’ve ordered an appetizer or two or three. All of my food usually comes home in a container for Nick to eat the next day!

I wanted to have fun this weekend because I felt so much better and could actually eat, but, like I said, going out is not an option. Therefore, I made a few appetizers that I knew Nick and I would love. You saw the Reuben Eggrolls yesterday. Today I have something super delicious, too.

Take a look at these fabulous Meatball Sliders.

Oh. Drool.

I can hear it hitting the keyboard.

I’ll wait while you go get a napkin…

Okay, now let’s get down to business.

Nutritional Information:
Servings: 36 Meatball Sliders
Serving Size: 1 Meatball Slider, 1 Slider Bun, ¼ slice provolone cheese
Calories: 144.3
Fat: 5.3 g
Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
Fiber: 1.4 g
Protein: 8.9 g
Points+: 4

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

Recipe Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 small onion, very small dice
• 1 large egg
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• ¼ cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 16 ounces ground beef
• Oil, for frying
• Slider Buns
• 9 slices provolone cheese, quartered
• Marinara Sauce, recipe below

Directions:

• Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and blend
• Stir in the cheese and breadcrumbs
• Mix in the beef
• Using about 1 heaping tablespoon of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into small meatballs. Place on a baking sheet
• Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium – high heat
• Working in several batches, add the meatballs and sauté until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pat off any excess oil.
• Return all of the meatballs to the pan
• Add the marinara sauce. Simmer over medium low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend together, about 15 to 20 minutes
• Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper 

Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 {14.5 ounce} cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 {14.5 ounce} can tomato sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• ½ tablespoon cayenne pepper

Directions

• In a large pot add all of the ingredients and allow to simmer over medium – low heat until everything is heated through. 

These little guys were so delicious. I have plans for the leftovers, so tune in. As a side note, I have never pan fried meatballs before. Usually I go through the same process but bake them. So I was a little nervous giving this a try, but if Giada De Laurantis and Caroline Manzo do it this way then it cannot be THAT bad. It was quite the experience; meaning, the first batch came out slightly over cooked. Yes, yes, I burned them or so I thought. Nick REALLY loved that there was an extra crunch on the outside but was soft on the inside. I decided to take a taste of one also. I totally agreed. So I "burned" the rest of them. No, do not worry. I didn't actually burned them, I just browned them a little more. They turned out especially delicious and looked perfect. 

I hope you give them a try!

Until Next Time,

Happy Experimenting!! 

Comments

[Karie Engels]

I don't know how I missed this one back in April ~ these are gorgeous!!