Just like cookies, I’ve never met a meatball I didn’t like. I’ve tried them made out of every kind of meat imaginable. Lamb, turkey, chicken, veal and even bison. Working on boats, we often have meatballs for dinner. We make enough to have a meatball sandwich for lunch and even sneak in some extras for breakfast. You might be surprised to know that if you chop up your leftover meatballs, cook them and a little Italian seasoning with your scrambled eggs and put a ladle full of hot “gravy” (that’s what the Yankees call tomato sauce) on top, it is a darn near perfect breakfast. Definitely one I’ll get out of my bunk for!

Paula made me these meatballs a few weeks ago and I have to tell you they were good! With that cheese stuffed inside and kind of oozing out. Gosh, I wish I had some now while I’m writin’ this. I hope you all try them and eat ‘em up as fast as I did. The only bad part about these Slow Cooker Cheese Stuffed Meatballs and Sauce....was waiting for them to get out of the slow cooker!

Slow Cooker Cheese Stuffed Meatballs and Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
4 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 to 1 1/2 cups Italian dry bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, divided into 12 pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 jars of your favorite red sauce
2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente

Directions
In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley and dried oregano. Add bread crumbs 1/2 cup at a time until mixture is not too wet and can be formed into balls easily. Form mixture into 12 balls using your thumb to press a hole in the center. Insert a piece of the fresh mozzarella into the hole and close the hole by pushing the meatball mixture around it to secure the mozzarella inside each ball.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and drizzle olive oil into it. Add meatballs and cook until just browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs into a slow cooker. Pour red sauce over the meatballs and cook on LOW for approximately 5 hours. Serve the stuffed meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 5 hrs
Difficulty: Easy