Looking for a quick and easy appetizer for the Big Game? These ricotta stuffed sausage meatballs are so easy to make. Your football friends will go wild for these quick baked ricotta stuffed sausage meatballs.
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Meatballs. The ultimate comfort food.
As is the case with many things I share on this blog, I always thought meatballs would be hard to make from scratch.
But the truth is, meatballs are fairly simple once you know the few key things that make a meatball work. Since making these, I've also ventured into making baked chicken meatballs and goat cheese, rosemary chicken meatballs.
First of all, you obviously have to have meat. Whether it be ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken or, in fact, ground sausage, it all starts as the same base.
Then, you have to have something to bind everything together. All of my meatball recipes use the same two things for this. Eggs and bread crumbs. Usually, I forget that we don't have any bread crumbs and I end up making my own from scratch. But that's a recipe for another day.
But, I digress. The last thing meatballs need is a few good spices. And voila, or presto, I guess since these are Italian, technically.
These meatballs have a few extra goodies that make them to die for, if I do say so myself. Though, for the record, the rest of my family couldn't get enough of them, too!
Because sausage can have excess grease when it cooks, I thought adding a third binding ingredient would be helpful for holding everything together. So I added a bit of cooked white rice. It's actually the same kind that I used for this salmon rice bowl recipe. It's just sticky enough that it held the meatballs together perfectly. But any cooked white rice will do!
Then the ultimate final touch was stuffing these meatballs with ricotta. I had the flavor palate in my head but I knew if I just mixed the ricotta into the meatball mixture everything would be too wet to hold together. So instead, I stuffed them! So fun, right?
Recommended Supplies for Ricotta Stuffed Sausage Meatballs
Turns out these meatballs would be the perfect appetizer for any party, but I'm specifically planning on these for the Big Game coming up in just a few weeks! Party food is best when it can be eaten with one hand or utensil. No one has two hands to use a fork and knife so these meatballs are perfect for either using a fork and dipping them into marinara sauce or for just grabbing one and popping it in your mouth sans utensils!
If you're looking for even more yummy football food, I've joined with 63 other bloggers to bring you a slew of delicious Big Game recipes inspired by each of our favorite teams! Be sure to check them all out below. You will definitely find a recipe that you can make or bring to your own Big Game party!
Classic Potato Salad by Celebrating Family
Chili Cheese Burritos by Love Bakes Good Cakes
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders by Dash of Herbs
Mediterranean Seven Layer Dip by The Culinary Compass
Chicks in a Blanket with Apricot Sauce by Mom's Messy Miracles
Jalapeno Pale Ale Chili by Beer Girl Cooks
Jalapeno Popper Pull Apart Bread by The Life Jolie
Sausage Pepperoni Pizza Dip by Feast + West
Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls by Family Food on the Table
Mini Bacon Ranch Cheese Balls by Honey & Birch
Cookie Dough Cheese Ball by Bread Booze Bacon
Hawaiian Pizza Jalapeno Poppers by Love & Flour
Meatloaf Sliders by Foodtastic Mom
Wonton Taco Cups by A Mind Full Mom
Pancetta and Smoked Mozzarella Arancini by The Secret Ingredient Is
Bean and Cheese Taco Bites by The BakerMama
Chile Beer Sangria by Cake 'n Knife
Low Carb Stuffed Crust Pizza by Sustaining the Powers
Puff Pastry Pizza Bites by The Mexitalian
No Churn Pistachio Baklava Ice Cream by Club Narwhal
Roasted Jalapeno Poppers by Off the Eaten Path
Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese by Hello Little Home
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Wings by Around My Family Table
Gluten Free Bread Sticks by What A Girl Eats
Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs by The Crumby Cupcake
Greek Meatballs by Two Places at Once
Baked Taco Empanadas by Simplify, Live, Love
Cheese Sticks by Coffee Love Travel
Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Meatballs by West via Midwest
Puff Pastry Bacon Pizza Twists by 2 Cookin Mamas
Skillet Chicken Queso Dip by foodbyjonister
Spicy Sausage Rolls by Peanut Blossom
Protein Dark Chocolate Truffles by The Creative Bite
Chickpea Pepper Cheese Poppers by Bucket List Tummy
Maple Cranberry Apple Sangria by Order in the Kitchen
Meyer Lemon Shandies by The Speckled Palate
Game Day Fried Deviled Eggs with Chow Chow Relish by For the Love of Food
Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls by Simple and Savory
Pastrami Nachos by A Little Gathering
Shrimp Ceviche Dip by Glisten and Grace
Football Bourbon Balls + Boozy Lemonade by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Apple Cider Mimosas With A Sparkly Sugar Rim by And She Cooks
Pulled Pork Stuffed Corn Dogs by Nik Snacks
Easy Pepperoni Rolls by Me and My Pink Mixer
Real Boneless Chicken Wings by Macheesmo
Califlower Tater Tots by Living Well Kitchen
Cheeseburger Naan Pizza by Shaws Simple Swaps
Crab Rangoon by Brunch-n-Bites
Sweet n' Spicy BBQ Popcorn by Life's Ambrosia
Buffalo Chicken Rolls by Loves Food, Loves to Eat
Simlple Meatball Sub Sliders by Loaves & Dishes
Maple-Mustard Bacon Chicken Bites by An Oregon Cottage
Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese & Honey Mustard Dipping Sauces by A Simpler Grace
Ricotta Stuffed Sausage Meatballs by A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
Ricotta Stuffed Sausage Meatballs
Looking for a quick and easy appetizer for the Big Game? These ricotta stuffed sausage meatballs are so easy to make. Your football?friends will go wild for these quick baked ricotta stuffed sausage meatballs at your Big Game party!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (sweet, mild or hot depending on your preference)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sticky white rice (cooked)
- 1 teaspoon of ricotta per meatball (about 4 ounces total)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place an oven safe metal wire baking/cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine sausage, egg, bread crumbs and rice in a bowl.
- Form meatballs by hand, about a teaspoon of mixture at a time.
- Use your thumb to put a small dent in the meatball.
- Fill the dent with ricotta and add more meat mixture on top to make a meatball again.
- Place on oven safe wire rack.
- Repeat with remaining mixture to make about 12 meatballs.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until sausage is fully cooked when you cut into the meatball.
Notes
Form meatballs with about a teaspoon of mixture at a time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 417mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 10g
Sabrina says
what a creative meatball recipe! Ricotta, love it and great idea, thank you for this recipe, great for game day but also beyond for entertaining especially!
Madison Wetherill says
Thank you so much Sabrina! If you end up making these, share a photo on IG and tag me ๐
Erin @ The Speckled Palate says
Oh, girl. These meatballs look INSANELY delicious, and I am SO happy you shared 'em because YUM. I never thought meatballs were hard to make (because my mama makes such good ones, and I watched her for years), but I never varied my meatballs until married life. My mom's are so good, but we like to change things up sometimes. So clearly, I gotta make these, too!
Madison Wetherill says
I totally get that! There are a lot of things I haven't ever considered to be difficult to make because they were staples in our house growing up! I hope you'll try these ๐
Teresa | Simply Made Fun says
Stuffing meatballs with cheese? BRILLIANT!
Madison Wetherill says
I wish your little guy could eat these, Greyson gobbled them up!
Meghan @ Cake 'n Knife says
These meatballs look so dreamy! I LOVE the ricotta in the center - nothing like cheese and meat to celebrate the Big Game ๐
Madison Wetherill says
I totally agree girl. ALL THE CHEESE.