Spinach Garlic Meatballs Stuffed With Mozzarella

Spinach Garlic Meatballs Stuffed With Mozzarella saved my Tuesday night dinner disaster last month. Picture this: hungry kids, empty fridge except for ground meat and some wilted spinach I forgot about. I grabbed that block of mozzarella from the back of my fridge and created pure magic.

Now my 8-year-old actually asks for seconds on vegetables (well, hidden vegetables). The look on my mother-in-law’s face when she bit into that first cheesy center was priceless. She’s been texting me for the recipe ever since!

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Listen, I’ve been making meatballs for fifteen years and these blow everything else out of the water. My husband took one bite and said “forget your mom’s meatballs, these are IT.” The kids devoured them without knowing they ate an entire bag of spinach.

My sister tried making them last weekend and called me three times asking if she was doing it right. That molten cheese center gets everyone every single time. Plus, you’re basically tricking your family into eating their greens while they think they’re getting the ultimate comfort food.

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📝 Ingredient List

For the Spinach Mixture:

• 8 oz fresh baby spinach (don’t use the tough stuff)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped tiny
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 – trust me on this)
• 1 lb ground pork (don’t skip this!)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced up real good
• 2¼ cups breadcrumbs (I use panko)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, the real stuff
• 3 large eggs (4 if yours are small)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 8 oz mozzarella, cut into tiny cubes

For Serving:

• 2-3 cups marinara (Rao’s is my go-to)
• Fresh basil
• More Parmesan for sprinkling

🔍 Why These Ingredients Work

My grandma always said beef alone makes dry meatballs, and she was right. The pork keeps everything juicy and adds this richness you can’t get any other way. I tried making these with just beef once – never again.

Fresh spinach beats frozen every time because frozen turns everything soggy. I learned this the hard way when my first batch fell apart in the pan. The garlic gets sweet when you cook it with the spinach, not sharp like raw garlic.

Block mozzarella is non-negotiable here. Pre-shredded cheese has that anti-caking stuff that won’t melt right. Cut your own cubes and you’ll get those Instagram-worthy cheese pulls every time.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need a big skillet for the spinach, a huge mixing bowl (bigger than you think), and a baking sheet. I like using my cast iron pan for the searing part. Get yourself a meat thermometer too – guessing doneness never works out.

My mom always used her hands to mix meatballs and now I know why. Spoons just don’t do the job right.

👩🍳 How To Make Spinach Garlic Meatballs Stuffed With Mozzarella

Step 1: Cook That Spinach

Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet over moderate heat to get it hot. Add the garlic and allow it to sizzle for around 30 seconds – don’t let it turn brown; otherwise, it will get bitter. Dump in all that spinach and stir it around until it’s completely wilted down. Season with salt and pepper, then chop it up fine on your cutting board. Let it cool down completely or it’ll cook your eggs when you mix everything.

Step 2: Mix the Meat

Dump both meats into your biggest bowl. Add the garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and that cooled spinach. Now here’s what my Italian neighbor taught me – mix it gently with your hands just until everything comes together. Stop right there. Overmixing makes hockey pucks, not meatballs.

Step 3: Stuff Those Babies

This is where it gets fun. Take about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture and flatten it in your palm like a little pancake. Drop a cube of mozzarella right in the middle, then wrap that meat around it. Make sure you seal it completely – no cheese peeking out anywhere. Roll it gently into a ball. You should get about 32 meatballs. Keep your hands slightly damp so nothing sticks.

Step 4: Get That Golden Color

Heat some olive oil in your skillet – I use about 2 tablespoons. Get it nice and hot, then add your meatballs in batches. Don’t crowd them or they’ll steam instead of brown. Roll them around until they’re golden on all sides, takes about 6-8 minutes total. They won’t be cooked through yet, that’s fine.

Step 5: Finish in the Oven

Crank your oven to 350°F. Put all those browned meatballs back in your oven-safe skillet and slide them into the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until they hit 165°F inside. I always check with my thermometer because nobody wants undercooked meat.

Step 6: Sauce Time

Warm up your marinara in a pot while the meatballs finish. When they’re done, spoon that sauce around them, not on top – you want to keep that pretty brown crust. Throw some fresh basil on there and extra cheese if you’re feeling fancy.

And if you’re looking for more quick weeknight dinner recipes, check out my Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Or Best Keto Zucchini Fritters– they’re both reader favorites!

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

My chef friend Tony always says the secret to good meatballs is treating the meat like it’s sleeping – don’t wake it up with rough handling. Mix gentle, roll gentle, cook gentle. Works every time.

❗ You Must Know

The cheese absolutely has to be sealed inside completely. I made the mistake of leaving gaps my first time and ended up with a pan full of melted cheese and sad, deflated meatballs. Also, if your spinach isn’t completely cooled when you mix it in, it’ll start cooking your eggs and make everything weird.

Here’s my secret – I always make one tiny test meatball first and cook it in the microwave for 30 seconds to check the seasoning. Way easier than fixing 32 meatballs that need more salt.

💡 Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Stick those formed meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking. They hold together so much better that way. I use a cookie scoop to make them all the same size – nobody fights over who got the bigger meatball.

Don’t flip them too early when you’re browning. Let that crust develop or you’ll have a mess. Room temperature ingredients mix way easier than cold stuff straight from the fridge.

Make a double batch and freeze half. Future you will thank present you when it’s 6 PM and you have no dinner plan.

Biggest mistakes I see people make: squeezing the spinach but not enough (soggy meatballs), rolling too tight (they burst), and flipping too soon (they fall apart).

🎨 Flavor Variations & Suggestions

My neighbor adds sun-dried tomatoes and uses feta instead of mozzarella – it’s incredible. If you like heat, throw in some red pepper flakes and use pepper jack cheese. I tried adding fresh herbs once – basil, oregano, thyme – and it was restaurant-level good.

For my friends who are watching calories, ground turkey works instead of the pork, just add an extra glug of olive oil so they don’t dry out.

⏲️ Make-Ahead Options

These are perfect for meal prep. You can form them and stick them in the fridge for a whole day before cooking. I freeze them raw all the time – they keep for months. You can also cook them completely and freeze them after.

When I’m reheating from frozen balls, I thaw them in the fridge overnight first before heating them in a 350°F oven till they are hot all the way through.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Don’t cheap out on the ground beef blend. You need that 80/20 fat ratio for juicy meatballs. I tried 90/10 once thinking I was being healthy – they were like little dry rocks.

If you absolutely have to use frozen spinach, get about 10 oz, thaw it completely, and squeeze every drop of water out. I’m talking squeeze it in a kitchen towel until your hands hurt. Any extra moisture will ruin everything.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

We usually eat these over spaghetti with extra sauce and garlic bread. My teenagers love them stuffed into sub rolls with melted provolone on top. Last week I served them over creamy polenta for a dinner party and everyone thought I was some kind of fancy chef.

They make great appetizers too – just stick toothpicks in them and set out different dipping sauces. A nice Chianti pairs perfectly if you’re doing the wine thing.

🧊 How to Store Your Spinach Garlic Meatballs

In a covered container, cooked meatballs last for about 4 days in the fridge. You can put them on a baking sheet first for freezing, so they don’t stick together. After that, you can transfer them to a freezer bag as soon as they are solid. They keep for months that way.

I simply warm them gently in the oven at 325°F until they are hot and enjoy cooking, or alternatively, I simmer them in marinara sauce on the stove.

⚠️ Allergy Information

These have eggs, dairy, and gluten from the breadcrumbs. For gluten-free folks, use GF breadcrumbs – they work just fine. If you can’t do dairy, skip the Parmesan and find some dairy-free mozzarella, though it won’t melt quite the same way.

❓Questions I Get Asked A Lot

These are our new Sunday dinner thing. There’s something special about watching everyone’s face light up when they hit that melty cheese center. My youngest calls them “surprise balls” and asks for them at least twice a week.

Hope your family loves them as much as mine does!

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I cannot wait to listen to about your cheese ventures and whether your children discovered they were consuming spinach.