Crockpot mozzarella stuffed meatballs are the perfect way to change up spaghetti night!
Mozzarella stuffed meatballs are a delicious and unique twist on traditional meatballs and this recipe makes them super easy by using the crockpot! They are perfect for topping spaghetti with or served as an appetizer!
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My kids love meatballs any way I serve them, whether it’s as an appetizer like these Drunken Chili Meatballs or this quick and easy cheesy meatball casserole. Meatballs just make any meal a bit more fun!
Ingredients for Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
This may seem like a lot of ingredients, but it’s not complicated once you get going.
Ground Beef – I like to use 85% or higher when I make my meatballs and as always we get our ground beef from a local farm.
Hot Italian Sausage – This adds a nice kick to the meatballs but does not make them overly spicy either. However, if you have kids you might want to use Sweet Italian Sausage.
Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs – I prefer to use the Italian seasoned crumbs in this recipe to add an additional layer of seasoning.
Eggs – This helps bind the meatballs together.
Milk – To keep the meatballs moist!
Parmesan Cheese – For extra cheesiness and an element of salty!
Fresh Parsley – For flavor and a pop of fresh green color!
Garlic Powder – I think this goes in almost everything, right? You can never have enough garlic!
Salt & Pepper – to taste!
Mozzarella Cheese – I like to use mozzarella cheese in my meatballs but feel free to change it up if you like! I don’t recommend using fresh mozzarella for these stuffed meatballs.
Marinara Sauce – I use my homemade 10-minute marinara sauce when I make stuffed meatballs, but you can use jarred if you like.
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Mix Up Your Meatballs
This isn’t an overly complicated recipe and because we cook these in the crockpot it makes them even easier!
Mix your breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
Crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage over the breadcrumb mixture and gently mix to combine – DO NOT OVER MIX HERE!
Grab the kids and get them to help make the meatballs! Grab a golf ball size portion of the meat mixture and form it into a ball around one cube of mozzarella cheese. They will be a bit larger than a golf ball after you add the cheese. I typically get about 15 mozzarella stuffed meatballs.
Once you’re done forming all the meatballs, spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray for easier cleanup and ladle a small amount of marinara sauce on the bottom – just enough to cover the bottom. Place your meatballs in the crockpot, overlapping them if needed.
Cover the mozzarella stuffed meatballs with about half the remaining marinara sauce or the rest of the jar of marinara sauce.
Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours depending on how many meatballs you have.
I serve my mozzarella stuffed meatballs over spaghetti tossed in marinara sauce with garlic bread, a garden salad, or one of these delicious Italian side dishes! Garnish with fresh julienne basil and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Crockpot Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 lbs Mozzarella cheese cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 Jar marinara sauce or 1 batch of my homemade marinara sauce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, garlic powder, eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Once mixed, crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage over the mixture and gently mix to combine. DO NOT OVER-MIX.
- Form the mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs around one mozzarella cheese cube. I get between 12-16 meatballs.
- Once all of the meatballs are formed, spray a crockpot with non-stick cooking spray and ladle a small amount of marinara sauce on the bottom.
- Place the meatballs into the crockpot, overlapping if necessary, then cover the meatballs with the rest of the jar of marina sauce.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or until cooked through.
- Serve over marinara-tossed spaghetti and garnish with fresh julienned basil and shredded parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You may substitute sweet Italian sausage for hot Italian sausage.
- I do not recommend using fresh mozzarella for these stuffed meatballs.
FAQs
Can I use sweet Italian sausage instead of hot?
Although the hot Italian sausage does not make these overly spicy, feel free to substitute with sweet Italian sausage instead.
Can I freeze crockpot stuffed meatballs?
Yes, you can freeze them both before cooking or after cooking them. Either way, . Simply place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet about a 1/2 inch apart and freeze until completely frozen. Then pop them off and store them in a gallon-sized ziplock bag until ready to use. To reheat, simply pop them in some marinara sauce frozen or thaw them overnight and serve them with marinara!
What to do with leftovers?
If planning to eat them within 4–5 days, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a little marinara sauce. Alternatively, if you don’t plan to eat them within a few days you can freeze them fully cooked. Simply place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet about a 1/2 inch apart and freeze until completely frozen. Then pop them off and store them in a gallon-sized ziplock bag until ready to use. To reheat, simply pop them in some marinara sauce frozen or thaw them overnight and serve them with marinara!
Conclusion
These easy slow cooker stuffed meatballs are delicious and a fun way to change up spaghetti night! We love making these in the morning and enjoying a delicious spaghetti meatball night!
Such a cool recipe! If you’re looking to elevate any simple pasta dish, these crockpot mozzarella stuffed meatballs are perfect!
Absolutely the BEST meatballs I’ve ever made! I made them with her 10 minute marinara and my husband declared this was his #1 favorite dish I’ve made! Thank you ChaosandWine!
So delicious and fun to make!
super easy to make weeknight meal to satisfy the kid and hubby. this Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs in the crockpot was delicious too
The perfect meatball for a pasta dish. Italian sausage is one of my favorites and works well mixed with the ground beef. So good!
I’m so glad you liked these stuffed meatballs. I love the combination of Italian sausage and ground beef as well to give them more flavor!
Being from an Italian family, we eat a lot of pasta. The mixture of beef and Italian sausage was tasty in the meatballs.