Oven Roasted Chicken and Sausage Meatballs with Marinara and Melted Provolone. It’s an easy weeknight answer to a lighter version of meatballs for spring.
These meatballs are incredibly easy, and seem fit for the spring season when we still want warming food but something a bit lighter. The combination of chicken sausage with straight up ground chicken keeps the flavor intense and the whole dish is incredibly delicious. It takes only minutes to prep, and can be mostly made in advance.
The photo above is missing the marinara, but you can always assume it’s Rao’s in our house – feel free to substitute with whatever you prefer.
The meatballs are first roasted on a baking sheet, ensuring a golden exterior, then they are added to a baking dish, topped with sauce and finished with a final round of melty mozzarella and provolone. This is not the time for fresh mozzarella; stick with the block style you can shred yourself, or buy pre-packed shredded cheese.
Cheesy Roasted Chicken & Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 lb. chicken or pork sausage, removed from casings
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup olive oil, for brushing the tops of the meatballs
- 32 oz jar Rao's Marinara, or any brand you like
- 8 oz grated mozzarella - not fresh
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- fresh oregano, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken and sausage, mixing with a fork to loosen the meat and break it up. Add the beaten eggs, shallots, garlic, breadcrumbs, parmesan, pepper flakes, oregano, parsley, basil, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, and add about 1/4 cup tap water. Continue to mix everything using the fork so to not condense the mixture, but bring it together lightly.
- Using an ice cream scoop, form approximately 20 meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a basting or pastry brush, glaze the top of each meatball with a thin coating of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven to put the meatballs into a 9 x 12 baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the meatballs, top with foil, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Pull out the baking dish, top with the provolone and shredded mozzarella, and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling. Top with fresh oregano, and enjoy!
Notes
1 Comment
Yummmmmmy!!!