| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 8 sliders |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- One 28-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced
- 8 soft Hawaiian buns
- 8 leaves fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, thyme, 1 cup water, and some salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep warm.
- For the meatballs: Soak the panko in the milk for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, some salt and pepper and the soaked panko. Mix well to combine; do not overwork. Form into eight 2-inch balls.
- Set a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Sear the meatballs on all sides until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the thyme sprigs from the tomato sauce; add the meatballs to the sauce. Spoon some sauce over the meatballs, then top them with slices of mozzarella. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the meatballs are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
- To assemble the sliders, load one meatball onto each bun. Top with a basil leaf and secure the bun top with a bamboo skewer. Serve on a large platter with extra sauce on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 466 |
| Total Fat | 28 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 67 mg |
| Sodium | 624 mg |
Reviews
EXCELLENT! I am a meatball snob and these are a keeper!!!
Really good meatballs and easy to prepare
I love that you don’t waste and get it all out of the can! Seems so many of the shows they throw the can out with all that still in there. Nobody uses there rubber scraper to get all the stuff out of the bowls! I was brought up pinching pennies and using every last drop. I have watched you do these things many times and I like it.
Cant wait to make these. As most things you do my family will have happy faces and full tummy’s tonight. I will add a few more pepper flakes as we like on spicey side of things with full flavors.
I am typically not a meatball fan but hubby saw this on tv and wanted me to try it. I am officially a meatball fan now!!! These were divine!!!!! Definitely goin got make these again and again!!!!
Love these! Easy to make and delicious! Thanks Guy!
This was “OK”. The meat mixture needed more flavor and the sauce needed some vinegar and/or sugar. That said, the biggest positive take away was using a breadcrumb and milk mixture as well as not overworking the meat to create a really soft meatball.
Pretty good
Really good a hit with my family. Equally as good the next day as left-overs. These took longer in the oven, almost 30 minutes.
awesome!!