Home » Beef Recipes » Mozzarella meatballs with tomato and bacon
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Equipment
- grater
- weighing scales
- Chopping board
- knife
- garlic crusher
- Small bowl
- fork
- Mixing Bowl
- measuring spoons
- Mixing spoon
- Oven proof dish
- Cling film
- measuring jug
- Can opener
- Frying pan
- wooden spoon
- tin foil
- oven gloves
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Ingredients
- 750 g Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lean minced beef
- 90 g Parmesan cheese
- 120 g Mozzarella cheese
- 2 Cloves garlic
- 1 x 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Dried chilli flakes
- 2 x 15 ml (2 tbsp) Tomato puree
- 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Egg
Sauce
- 1 Onion
- 1 Garlic clove
- 100 g Smoked streaky bacon
- 20 g Fresh basil leaves
- 1 x Reduced salt vegetable stock cube
- 200 ml Water
- 1 x 400 g Can chopped tomatoes
- 30 g Parmesan
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Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C or Gas mark 4.
- Grate the parmesan cheese. Cut the mozzarella into 12 equal (10g) pieces.
- Peel and crush the garlic. Break the egg into a small bowl and beat lightly.
- Place the mince in a mixing bowl and add 2/3 of the parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, chilli flakes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and egg.
- Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Using your hands form the mince into 12 equal meatballs and place in an oven proof dish. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
- Cover the dish with cling film and place in the fridge until while you make the sauce.
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic.
- On a separate chopping board finely slice the bacon.
- Fry the bacon and onion for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Dissolve the stock cube in 200ml of boiling water.
- Add the vegetable stock, stir and bring to the boil.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and torn basil leaves, stir and remove from the heat.
- Remove the meatballs from the fridge and remove the cling film.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top. Cover with tin foil.
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes before carefully removing the tin foil. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes.
- Serve the meatballs with spaghetti.