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Craving comfort food? These Cheesy Meatballs are tender, juicy, and stuffed with gooey melted cheese in every bite. Whether you call them cheesy stuffed meatballs, meatballs with cheese, or just your new favorite dinner, they’re bursting with flavor.
Serve them over pasta, tuck them into a sub, or enjoy them with crusty bread; this recipe for cheesy meatballs is easy, versatile, and irresistibly cheesy. One cut and you’ll see that melty cheese center that makes them disappear fast.
What Makes These Cheesy Meatballs Work
These Cheesy Meatballs are tender, juicy, and loaded with melty cheese in every bite. Seasoned to perfection, they deliver the perfect balance of savory meat and gooey, cheesy goodness. Whether served over pasta or as cheesy stuffed meatballs for a party, this recipe for cheesy meatballs is easy, versatile, and guaranteed to please.
What Goes Into Cheesy Meatballs
The magic of these Cheesy Meatballs starts with a flavorful meat mixture, a rich tomato sauce, and plenty of melty mozzarella. Here are the key ingredients that make them so good:
- Ground Beef and Pork: Using both meats gives the meatballs a perfect balance of flavor and tenderness.
- Fresh Mozzarella: The star of the show; it melts into a gooey, cheesy center with every bite.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty, nutty depth that enhances the meatball mixture.
- Tomato Sauce: A rich, herby sauce made with onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning for that classic comfort food flavor.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Cheesy Meatballs
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven grill to medium high or the main oven to 430°F (220°C). Position a rack in the middle for finishing later.
- Soak the Bread: Combine the bread and milk in a large bowl. Press to submerge and let it soak until the milk is absorbed.
- Make the Meatball Mix: Prep your aromatics and herbs, then add all ingredients to the bread. Mix well until combined.
- Shape the Meatballs: Scoop about three tablespoons of mixture per meatball. Roll into firm balls and set aside on a plate.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, then transfer to a warm plate.
- Start the Sauce Base: Add the remaining oil to the pan. Sauté onion until translucent, then stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Build and Season the Sauce: Stir in tomato puree, water, tomato paste, basil, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce to low, and add sugar if needed.
- Finish and Serve: Return meatballs and any juices to the sauce, cover, and cook 20 minutes, turning a couple of times. Top with mozzarella, grill or bake until bubbling, garnish, and serve.
These Cheesy Meatballs pair beautifully with Focaccia Three-Cheese Italian Grilled Cheese for a cheesy, carb-loving match made in heaven. For something fresh on the side, try Beef Stuffed Eggplants, which bring a hearty yet veggie-forward balance to the plate. If you’re after a cozy starter, Warm Chicken and Pumpkin Lentil Stew sets the tone perfectly before diving into those melty, saucy meatballs.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can make these cheesy meatballs with only beef or pork, but the combination of both gives the best balance of flavor and tenderness.
Mozzarella is the classic choice for cheesy stuffed meatballs because it melts beautifully, but you can also try cheddar, provolone, or a mix for different flavors.
Seal the meat mixture tightly around the cheese and avoid overstuffing to help keep that melty center inside your cheesy meatballs.
MEATBALL RECIPE ON VIDEO!
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Cheesy Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
MEATBALLS:
- 3 slices white bread crust removed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 17 oz ground beef or minced beef
- 17 oz ground pork minced pork
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese fresh grated
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder or vegetable stock powder
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz tomato puree or passata
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 pinch fresh basil or parsley, chopped to garnish
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven grill on medium high heat, or main oven to 430°F (220°C).
- Combine bread and milk in a large bowl. Press the bread down into the milk to fully submerse and soak into the bread. Set aside.
- While the bread is soaking, get all of your meatball ingredients chopped and ready. Add all of the meatball ingredients in the bowl with the soaked bread and mix well.
- Roll about three tablespoons worth of meat mixture into a ball. Set aside onto a plate and repeat until all meat is used.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large well-seasoned skillet or non stick pan over medium high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides until golden (they won’t be cooked all the way through, but you will finish them off in the sauce). Transfer to a warm plate.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Fry the onion until transparent (about 2 minutes), while stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir through the puree (or passata), water, tomato paste, herbs, chili flakes (if using), salt and pepper. Mix together well with a wooden spoon; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat down to low and taste test. Add in the sugar if needed.
- Transfer the meatballs back into the sauce, along with any juices released from the meatballs on the plate.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes, while stirring the sauce occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through. (Turn the meatballs a couple of times in the sauce while cooking.)
- Top with the mozzarella cheese; transfer to the oven and grill or bake on the middle shelf of your oven, until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
- Garnish with the freshly chopped parsley and extra dried oregano and/or basil. Serve over pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My whole family loved these. I will make a double batch next time so there are leftovers. Thanks!
These are the best! Thank you for this recipe.
Can the meatballs be made the night before cooking and refridgerated?
Best meatballs ever! I love all your recipes! I decided to bake half of the meatballs at 400 degrees F for 25 mins and they came out delicious and juicy as well! Just didn’t have as nice a crust as frying them. Thank you!
How many meatballs is in a serving
Best meatballs and sauce I have made, such depth of flavour and lovely tender meatballs. TFS
Tried your recipe today and I must say it was the best Meatballs ever. Thanks to your site for making dinner life so easy..
Love the taste! Any suggestions on how to keep the meatballs from falling apart when trying to flip them for next time?
Use tongs that are wide enough to hold the meatball as you turn it.
I plan to add some sun dried tomatoes to my sauce which I have (not oil packed, but dry, and with slice into sauce while cooking). I love the flavor of these tomatoes!!!
That sounds great! Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoy them! Thank you for sharing and following along with me! XO
How can i freeze them, before frying them or after?
Either way is great! I like to freeze them after they are made then the warm up is a little easier. Hope that helps! Enjoy your meatballs! XO