Meatball Parm Garlic Bread Bowls
Tags: Beef Dinner Italian Pork
Yield: 4
- 1 pound ground beef (80%-85% lean – the less lean, the better for meatballs!)
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 6 cloves (2 tablespoons) crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 5-6 cups marinara sauce (try to use a good one like Rao's or Victoria)
- Bread bowls of your choice (I like semolina and sourdough from my supermarket’s bakery or Panera)
- About 3-5 slices provolone cheese per bread bowl
- About 2-3 slices mozzarella cheese per bread bowl
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
- 1/2 stick salted or unsalted butter, melted for 30 seconds in the microwave
- 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic base OR 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, take ALL of the meatball ingredients (except the sauce) and mix together well by hand. Everything should form together into one huge meatball. From the giant meatball, take some meat and roll into individual meatballs the size of a golf ball. For reference, this should make about 12-16 when all’s said and done.
- Place the meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. As the meatballs are baking, place the marinara sauce in a 4.5-5-quart sauté pan and set to medium-low heat until it simmers. Then, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce, cover with the lid again and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for about 5-10 minutes. This way, the juices from the meatballs really infuse the sauce!
- While the meatballs are simmering, increase the oven temperature to broil and prep the bread bowls. Carefully cut the top of each bread bowl in a circle, making sure not to slice through the bottom. Remove most of the excess bread and hollow it out, leaving some bread on the sides and bottom for some cushioning support. If using the garlic butter, combine all those ingredients in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds, mix to combine, and lightly brush the inside of the hollowed-out walls of the bread bowls (see Jeff's Tips).
- Place the bread bowls on a foil-lined baking sheet. Then, layer in the provolone so the bottom and walls are covered, overlapping if necessary (NOTE: How many slices you will need will depend on how large the bread bowl is, usually 3-5 per bowl). Ladle in a few meatballs (usually 3 will fit) followed by a generous amount of sauce until it comes up to the brim of the bread bowl. Sprinkle on some Parmesan and then top with a few slices of mozzarella cheese until covered (usually 2-3 per bowl), overlapping if necessary. Feel free to brush any additional garlic butter sauce on the sides of the bread bowls.
- Broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese begins to get bubbly brown (NOTE: Keep an eye on it as all ovens vary). Enjoy immediately while the cheese is still hot, melty and stretchy!
- To make the meatballs in the Instant Pot vs. baking in the oven, follow this recipe and then begin with Step 4 as the meatballs are pressure cooking.
- Use any excess garlic butter sauce to brush on the bread bowl tops and broil with the bread bowls for extra garlic bread!
- If you want to pre-toast your garlic bread bowls, bake them in the oven for about 5 minutes on 450°F in between Steps 4 & 5 before lining with the provolone cheese.
