Pizza Meatballs

I saw this recipe and was like "NO FREAKING WAY!" Pizza is one of my all time favorite foods - I never get tired of eating it.  And if you don't like pizza, then there must be something wrong with you.  So this recipe was a must make in my book.  And it didn't let me down at all! So good! And you can change up the filling, and I have a feeling no matter what filling you choose to put in it, it will not disappoint at all.  It was a huge hit with my entire family.  And I can't wait to make these again.  Makes an excellent snack or a good appetizer for a party. 

You also have the option of what kind of pizza dough do you want to use - whole wheat or regular.  Or you could always make your own dough as well.  I went the easy way and bought premade regular pizza dough at my local grocery store.  You only need 1/2 pound of dough, so I froze the other 1/2 for the next time I make these. 

The recipe calls for sweet or hot sausage - your choice of pork, chicken or turkey.  But you can really fill it up with whatever toppings you love on your pizza.  I think next time I make these it will be a mixture of bacon and pepperoni - a favorite of Ween and my Dad. 

I get to work on making the filling.  The hardest part was taking the sausage out of their casing....so easy.  Once I get the filling made I scoop out a tablespoon of filling and shape into balls and set them aside.

waiting for their doughy
home

Now comes the fun part, playing with the pizza dough.  You need to make sure that you have enough even pieces for the meatballs so they cook up evenly.  So I work with the dough and make it so I have enough even pieces for all my meatballs.  Then its all easy from this part on.  Take a meatball, place it in the dough and seal the meatball inside the dough so nothing is showing and its firmly sealed.




pre-sealed



all sealed and
ready to go

Now you get to fry them up in a pan, or you can bake them off in the oven if you don't want to fry them.  15 minutes later, heat up some sauce to dip them in and you are ready to go!



a fantastic snack

 

Pizza Meatballs

makes 16

1/2 pound sweet or hot uncooked Italian-flavored pork, chicken or turkey sausage

1 tbsp chopped parsley or oregano

3/4 grated mozzarella cheese (3 oz)

2 tbsp Parmesean cheese

1/2 lb pizza dough

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup jarred marinara sauce, heated

pinch of salt and pepper

1/4 cup flour

1. Remove sausage meat from casings into a medium bowl.  Add mozzarella, Parmesan and the parsley or oregano, salt and pepper.  Mix with your hands until just combined.  Form into 16 even balls (1 tbsp each)
2. Seperate pizza dough into 16 even pieces (about 1" balls).  Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten it with your fingers and stretch dough.  Lighly dust dough on both sides with flour.  Wrap dough around a sausage ball and pinch dough well to seal.
3. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over moderate heat and cook pizza balls over moderately low heat, turning them, until golden brown and sausage is cooked, about 15 minutes (cut one in half to see if cooked through).  Let pizza cool for 5 min before serving.  Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.