Cheeseburger meatballs
- Published: 30 Nov 18
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
We’ve combined two of your favourite comfort foods into one epic dish that the whole family will love. Say hello to cheeseburger meatballs.
Craving a classic burger with all the fixings? Try our incredible umami cheeseburger recipe.
- Serves 6
- Hands-on time 45 min, oven time 10 min, plus chilling
Ingredients
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 400g British beef mince
- 300g British free-range pork mince
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 100g mozzarella for cooking, cut into 12 equal chunks
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 150ml red wine
- Splash red wine vinegar
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- Pinch caster sugar
- 2 brioche bread rolls
- 75g cheddar, grated
For the salad
- 4 little gem lettuces, cut into quarters (or half if small)
- 1-2 large gherkins, chopped
- 1 red onion, sliced into rings, soaked in cold water (see tip)
For the burger sauce dressing
- 3 tbsp Maille mustard mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp ketchup (we used reduced sugar)
- 1 tsp sweet mustard
Method
- Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the chopped onion for 6-7 minutes to soften. Put half in a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
- Once the onion in the bowl has cooled slightly, add both minces, paprika, parsley and seasoning. Use your hands to scrunch and mix the mince to combine, then divide into 12 equal-size balls. Push a cube of mozzarella into the middle of each meatball, then arrange on a baking tray (or a couple of plates) and chill in the fridge to firm up.
- Meanwhile, make the meatball sauce. Add the garlic to the pan with the onion and fry for a minute more, then add the wine, vinegar and tomatoes. Season well with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a fast simmer and cook for 20 minutes over a low heat until thickened.
- Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Heat a frying pan with a glug of oil then, in batches, cook the meatballs, turning, until browned all over. Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce and cook for a further 8 minutes, turning, until cooked through.
- Halve the brioche buns, then cut into chunks. Put on a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and season. Bake for 5 minutes or until toasted.
- Top the meatballs with the grated cheese and put in the hot oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
- Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until hot. Drizzle the lettuce with a little oil, then griddle, cut-side down, until charred. Turn and cook on the other side until charred.
- Mix the burger sauce dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Arrange the grilled lettuce on a platter and top with the gherkins and drained red onions, then drizzle over the burger sauce dressing. Scatter the brioche chunks over the meatballs, then serve with the salad and let everyone dig in.
- Recipe from November 2018 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 548kcals
- Fat
- 34.9g (13.4g saturated)
- Protein
- 33.4g
- Carbohydrates
- 18.6g (11g sugars)
- Fibre
- 3.7g
- Salt
- 0.9g
delicious. tips
Soaking raw red onion in cold water helps remove some of the intense raw onion flavour and keeps the onion crisp – great to add bite to the salad
Make to the end of step 4, then cool, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat until piping hot and complete the recipe to serve.
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