Mini Ricotta Meatballs

By CheeseDiva

Ingredients

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (12 ounces)
• 1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 - 2 recipe(s) Domenica's Simple Tomato-Garlic Sauce; or 2 to 4 cups other jarred sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 20
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from bhg.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl combine egg, beef, sausage, ricotta cheese, panko, onion, the 1/2 cup Parmesan, the garlic, thyme, parsley, and salt with hands. Form mixture into forty 1-1/2-inch meatballs.

Heat an extra-large cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Brown meatballs, half at a time, in hot skillet about 10 minutes per batch. Return all meatballs to skillet. Bake for 10 minutes or until done (160 degrees F).

Spoon sauce into two small cast-iron skillets or serving dishes (cast-iron skillets can be heated or kept warm on a grill). Place baked meatballs in sauce, turning to coat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and the 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Serve meatballs with bamboo skewers.