Italian Meatball Slider
This Italian Meatball slider is cross between a meatball sandwich and a hamburger with some peppery arugula and creamy spinach artichoke pesto.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 20% lean ground beef
- ½ pound mild Italian sausage removed from casings if necessary
- ½ cup or as needed, Italian style bread crumbs (or you could use panko along with some Italian seasonings and parmesan cheese)
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- Freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste
- Small fresh mozzarella balls also known as Ciliegine, cut in half
- Extra virgin olive oil as needed
- Slider buns or potato dinner rolls (I used dinner rolls as I couldn't find slider buns, or you could use a biscuit cutter and make your own out of hamburger buns, saving whatever is left to make breadcrumbs)
- 1 28 ounce jar marinara sauce (or homemade)
- 1 recipe Spinach/Artichoke Pesto
- Fresh spinach arugula or basil leaves
Instructions
- Make the sliders: Mix the beef, sausage, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, egg, pepper, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a meatball with about 2 ½ ounces of meat. Place a half mozzarella ball in the middle and close the meat around it. Flatten slightly with your hand to resemble more of a fat hamburger than a round meatball.
- Broil until cooked, turning once. About 3 minutes per side.
- Place the meatballs into the marinara sauce that has been heated in a large skillet. Turn to coat. Allow to simmer in the sauce for a few minutes.
- Lightly coat the cut side of the bun with olive oil. Heat a cookie sheet in a 375º F oven, place cut side down on the baking sheet and bake until the cut side is just beginning to brown, but the bun is still soft; about 5 minutes.
- Place the meatball onto the bun, add a little marinara over the top. Spread the top of the bun with some of the pesto, top the meatball with a spinach leaf, some arugula or a basil leaf, and top with the bun. Serve immediately.
Notes
Find the recipe for Spinach Artichoke Pesto here
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingSodium: 632mgFiber: 4gCholesterol: 93mgCalories: 422kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gFat: 23gProtein: 29gCarbohydrates: 26g
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