These meatball bomb bites are full of flavor and cheese! They’re baked to golden perfection and they’re best dipped in marinara sauce. These bites of yumminess are perfect for game days, appetizers, or small plate dinners! I came up with this idea when we were just tired of having pretty much the same thing every night. We like to incorporate appetizer-like meals into our meal wheel and these are perfect for it! I prefer making my own meatballs but if you’re in a hurry or just don’t want to make your own, just buy the pre-made kind and skip the part where I explain how to make them!
THE MEATBALL BOMB BITES EXPLAINED:
Homemade meatballs and melty mozzarella cheese tucked into pizza dough squares and rolled into ball. Before baking, they are topped with melted butter, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, and parsley.
FAQ’S:
Can I use store bought meatballs instead?
Of course! It saves time and they’ll still be delicious, follow the directions-just skip the meatball making part!
Can I freeze them?
Yes! I suggest freezing before they’re baked. So right after the melted butter mixture is brushed onto the bites, I would then carefully place them into a ziploc bag so that they’re not on top of each other. Once you’re ready to bake them, preheat oven to 350F and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
grocery list:
- ground beef
- garlic
- 1 egg
- 1 slice of white bread
- milk
- panko breadcrumbs
- italian breadcrumbs
- salt
- pepper
- oregano
- parsley
- grated parmesan
- 1 package of Pillsbury pizza dough
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- butter
- garlic powder
equipment list:
- mixing bowls
- baking sheets
- garlic mincer
- good knives
*link to my amazon storefront to purchase equipment*
AN EASIER WAY:
Use store bought meatballs instead of making them from scratch and follow the directions picking up after the meatballs are made.
Meatball Bomb Bites
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic , minced (1-2 tsp)
- 1 egg
- 1 slice white bread , torn up
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup italian breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley
- 2 tbsp parmesan , grated
- 1 package Pillsbury pizza dough
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp butter , melted
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp parmesan , grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a baking sheet and grease it with either a stick of cold butter or line with nonstick aluminum foil.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground beef, cubed bread, milk, egg, minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and parmesan. Mix well, but gently. Overmixing will result in dry meatballs.
- Form the meatballs. Make them about 2 tablespoons worth of the mixture. I just eye them to form them based on how many people. Place them on the cookie sheet evenly.
- Put them in the oven for about 30 minutes. For an alternative method to cooking, see notes.
- While meatballs are baking, take the pizza dough and cut into even squares (as even as possible) in the same amount as there are meatballs. Place 1 tbsp shredded mozzarella on each dough square. Place meatball on cheese in the dough square and fold the dough to where it covers the meatball completely and the dough is kind of bunched up at the top. Put the bunched-up dough side down on the cookie sheet. Do the same with the others.
- Melt butter in microwave safe bowl, mix in garlic powder and parsley. Brush the butter mixture over each meatball bomb bite. Bake at 350ºF for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.
- Optional* Make more of the melted butter mixture or use leftovers to brush them once they're removed from the oven.