Bacon Meatballs

By commercecook

Although I made these as written, I think next time I'll put in a chunk of regular mozzarella instead of the fresh stuff.

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• 8 slices Applewood smoked bacon (I used the already cooked, just heat in microwave.)
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1 tablespoon beef stock (I just used water.)
• 10 fresh mozzarella balls (small ones packed in water)
• Marinara:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 (14 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes in puree
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain, chop and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, panko, beef stock and chopped bacon. Mix well. Form portions of the mixture around the mozzarella balls to make smooth balls. Arrange balls on the baking sheet. Bake until the meatballs are fully cooked (160 degrees) about 20-25 minutes.
3. To make the marinara sauce, add oil to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and basil. Saute for a few minutes. Stir in all tomatoes, pepper flakes and bouillon. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. I added a little sugar to offset the acidity.