Simple Cheesy Italian Meatballs

Name: Simple Cheesy Italian Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage; 1 pound ground chicken; 2 slices soft whole grain bread; 2 eggs; 6 ounces Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 1⅓ cups), divided; 2 small shallots, grated; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 1 jar (32 ounce) marinara sauce; ¼ cup fresh oregano

Servings

6

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
1 pound ground chicken
2 slices soft whole grain bread
2 eggs
6 ounces Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 1⅓ cups), divided
2 small shallots, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 jar (32 ounce) marinara sauce
¼ cup fresh oregano

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Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375°F.
RUN the bread under water until dampened but not soaked. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the bread and then crumble the dampened bread into pieces.
COMBINE the sausage, chicken, crumbled bread, eggs, ⅓ cup shredded cheese, shallots, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat your hands with olive oil, then form the meat into 2 tablespoon size balls, and place them on a plate.
COOK the meatballs in an oiled sauté pan for 10 minutes or until they are crisp on the outside, but not yet cooked through on the inside. Turn meatballs every 2-3 minutes. Work in batches as needed to not crowd the meatballs. Remove browned meatballs and set aside.
POUR half the marinara sauce into the baking dish. Place the browned meatballs snuggly into the dish with the sauce and then pour the remaining sauce to cover. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
REMOVE the cover and add the remaining 1 cup of cheese and oregano.
BAKE until the cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta!