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a plate full of meatballs and sauce where the front meatball is split open with mozzarella cheese pulls between the two halves
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5 from 1 vote

Stuffed Meatballs

Served with pasta or on their own, these slow cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs are a delicious and easy go-to dinner!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Main Course, Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheese stuffed meatballs, meatballs stuffed with mozarella, Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs, Stuffed Meatballs
Servings: 5
Calories: 782kcal
Author: Isabel Laessig

Equipment

Ingredients

For Meatballs

  • 1 lb. Ground beef
  • 1 lb. Ground sausage mild
  • 1 cup Breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup Onion chopped
  • ¼ cup Parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Thyme dried
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano dried
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper
  • 2 Eggs
  • 4 sticks Mozzarella string cheese cut into 4-5 pieces each
  • ½ cup Whole milk
  • ½ cup Parsley fresh, chopped

For Sauce

  • 7 cups Crushed tomato
  • ⅓ cup Onion chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic crushed
  • 2 teaspoons Basil dried
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano dried
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Instructions

  • Add all the sauce ingredients into the slow cooker and stir well, then set to high and cover while prepping the meatballs.
    7 cups Crushed tomato, ⅓ cup Onion, 2 cloves Garlic, 2 teaspoons Basil, 1 teaspoon Oregano, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper
    a pot full of tomato sauce with a hand holding a glass bowl of seasoning over the pot
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese. Mix with hands until well combined.
    1 lb. Ground beef, 1 lb. Ground sausage, 1 cup Breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup Onion, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon Onion powder, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Thyme, 1 teaspoon Oregano, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Pepper, 2 Eggs, ½ cup Whole milk, ½ cup Parsley
    a glass bowl filled with meatball mixture ingredients being mixed with a spoon
  • Separate out golfball sized pieces of the meatball mixture and roll into a ball in your hands.
    hands holding a rolled meatball over a dish of meatball mixture on a white background
  • Press a piece of mozzarella cheese into the center of the meatball. Mold the meat around the cheese until it's fully enclosed, then roll again to form a ball. Repeat until the meat is used up.
    4 sticks Mozzarella string cheese
    hands pressing a piece of mozzarella into a meatball over a dish of meatball mixture
  • Open the slow cooker lid, and set all the meatballs inside and submerge in the cause completely.
    tomato sauce being poured on a dish of raw stuffed meatballs
  • Return the lid, and cook on high for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is fully cooked.
    A white dish of fully cooked mozzarella stuffed meatballs with tongs reaching for a meatball
  • Serve with sauce, and enjoy!
    a mozzarella stuffed meatball being cut open by a fork and knife on a plate of meatballs

Notes

  • Don't over-work the meat too much! Too thoroughly mashing and blending the ground meat can make for tougher meatballs, so just mix the meat until it's combined.
  • This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using a gluten free breadcrumb blend, or making your own breadcrumbs out of your favorite gluten free bread!
  • Mozzarella is a classic choice for stuffed meatballs, but you can use any melty cheese! Cheese sticks come in a variety of types, so choose your favorite. I love using Pepper Jack for a spicier twist, or Colby Jack for a more flavorful cheese.
  • Not a fan of red sauce? Try out these meatballs with BBQ Sauce for delicious Barbecue Stuffed Meatballs, or change things up by piling the meatballs on a sandwich as a Meatball Sub!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 782kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 1835mg | Potassium: 1679mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1514IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 10mg