Meatballs stuffed with cheese and pepper in a tomato sauce
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THE EXPERIENCE
recipe by:
Stavros Varthalitis
traditional
contemporary
Level of difficulty
Time needed 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

400 gr. minced beef...

200 gr. minced pork ...

1 medium red pepper...

200 gr. DODONI grated cheese mix (room temperature) ...

1 Egg...

30 gr. olive oil ...

50 gr. DODONI full-fat fresh milk ...

50 gr. breadcrumbs ...

1/2 onion ...

1/4 bunch of parsley ...

1 sprig of thyme ...

5 fresh mint leaves ...

1/2 tsp. cumin ...

1 tsp powdered garlic ...

Salt ...

Freshly ground pepper...

6 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil for frying ...

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

2 tbsp olive oil ...

1/2 onion ...

1 clove of garlic ...

400 gr. chopped tomatoes...

1 tsp granulated sugar...

2 sprigs of fresh thyme ...

1 sprig of fresh rosemary ...

200 gr. water ...

Salt ...

Freshly ground pepper ...

TO SERVE:

1 spring onion ...

1/6 bunch of fresh parsley ...

PREPARATION

 

For the meatballs:

Remove the stem and the seeds from the inside of the pepper and then chop finely.
Put the grated cheese mix and the pepper in a bowl and mix very well.
Line a 25x35 cm baking tray with non-stick paper. Take 1 tbsp of the mixture, roll it tightly in your palms to form a small ball and place it on the baking tray. Repeat this process 15 times and put the balls in the fridge for a while.
Put the chopped onion, parsley, thyme, mint, minced meat, egg, milk, breadcrumbs, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a bowl.
Knead the minced meat very well, wearing gloves, until the ingredients are fully mixed.
Take the cheese balls out of the fridge.
Divide the minced meat into 16 equal portions of 50 g each. Shape them one by one into balls, press them between your palms so that they become flat and place a ball of cheese in the center of each mince round.
Join the ends of the minced meat at the top, press them together to wrap the meat round the outside of the cheese, and gently reshape them into meatballs.
Put the tray in the fridge for 20 minutes so the meatballs set.

 

EXECUTION

 

For the meatballs:

In a frying pan, heat the oil for frying on medium to high heat.
Put the flour in a bowl and roll the meatballs one by one to coat them in flour.
Shake the meatballs slightly to remove the excess flour.  
Fry the meatballs in 2 batches for about 4 minutes, turning them frequently so that they turn a nice colour on all sides but are not cooked.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a container with absorbent paper until we are ready to use them again.

For the sauce:

Change the oil in the frying pan you used before and heat it on a medium heat.
Chop the onion together with the garlic and sauté them for 3-4 minutes.
Add the chopped tomato, sugar, water, chopped herbs, salt and pepper, mix and leave on a medium heat until it begins to bubble.
Put the meatballs into the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Serve with chopped spring onion and parsley.