Cheese stuffed meatballs

Cheese stuffed meatballs – juicy, flavorful, and oozing with smokey melted cheese! Try replacing your standard burger with these delicious giant meatballs next time, and you will never look back!

It’s not quite a meatball, and it’s not quite a burger – it’s a cross between them but what’s really special about thees grilled meatballs, is the filling of smoked cheese, and the spice mix, which elevates them to great new heights!

Try replacing your regular burger with these giant meatballs, oozing with melted cheese next time, and I guarantee you will never look back.

This is a traditional Bulgarian recipe, and like all traditional dishes everyone has their own methods and secret ingredients.  Mine..?

Sparkling water!

It makes for the juiciest grilled meatballs. You add the chilled sparkling water to the ground meat a bit at a time, while mixing it, and gradually the meat will absorb all of it.  If you feel your meat is getting too watery, to the point when you cannot shape it into meatballs, then stop adding water.  It should feel shaggy and not too dense, though.  Then you need to chill them really well before you grill them.  I put them in the freezer until they get firm but not completely frozen – about 30-40 minutes.

Of course, the first prerequisite for a juicy meat is fat.  So be sure to get meat with at least 15% fat content.  Usually a mix of pork and beef is used for best flavor.

The spice mix is nothing out of the ordinary.  The only thing that may trip you up is the dry savory which really rounds off the flavors.  You can find it in the spice isle of your grocery store under Summer Savory.

To get the juiciest meatballs, you need to remember three things – water, fat, and chill before you grill.  Also, make sure you grill on high to seal off the juices inside, and continue cooking on medium till done.  Usually it takes about 3-4 minutes per side.

As for the cheese – you can use regular Mozzarella, but I like the smoked one here best.  Serve the grilled meatballs with a nice salad, or to keep with the tradition, serve with a dollop of this roasted sweet pepper jam, or this eggplant dip.

Happy grilling, and enjoy your long 4th of July weekend!

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Cheese stuffed meatballs

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Cheese stuffed meatballs - juicy, flavorful, and oozing with smokey melted cheese! Try replacing your standard burger with these delicious giant meatballs next time, and you will never look back! 

Course: Main Dish

Servings: 14 meatballs

Calories: 201 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 1 lbs ground pork
• 1 lbs ground beef (at least 15% fat)
• 100 ml sparkling water, chilled
• 2 onions
• 2 Tbs dry summer savory *
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 100 g smoked Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Cut the onion in chunks and puree in a food processor (alternatively grate the onion finely)
2. Mix onion puree with the ground beef and pork, and all the spices.
3. Start adding a bit of the sparkling water, while continuing to mix, until all the water is fully absorbed. It may look watery, but that's ok.
4. Form large balls (approximately 14), make a dent in the middle, and stuff with a piece of smoked Mozzarella.
5. Place the meatballs in the fridge for an hour, or in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
6. Heat the grill on high, and rub with oil. Grill the meatball for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning once.

Recipe Notes

* Buy summer savory at the spice isle of your grocery store, or online.