A firm family favourite, The Laughing Cow sauce topping the meatballs counters the acidity of the marinara whilst emphasising the smoothness of the meatballs.
Cheesy Meatballs
Makes 6
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 450 g lean ground beef
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs (optional)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Chopped parsley to serve
Tomato sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped basil
- Salt and ground black pepper
The Laughing Cow sauce
- 100 ml double cream
- 200 g The Laughing Cow Light
- 50 ml Greek yogurt
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method
- To prepare the meatballs, heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat and cook until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally, remove and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Place the minced beef in a large bowl, mix in the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, if using, and season.
- Make the meatballs by rolling a tablespoon of meat mixture between the palms of both hands to make a perfect ball, place on a plate. Repeat this process until the mixture has all been used, making approximately 30 meatballs. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes before cooking.
- For the Tomato and The Laughing Cow Sauces heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in the tomatoes and cook gently until reduced by a 1/3rd, add the basil, and season to taste.
- In a saucepan, bring half of the cream to near boiling point, remove from the heat and stir in The Laughing Cow Light cheese, leave to cool to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, whip the remaining cream until thick, then fold into it the cheese mixture, season to taste, chill until needed.
- Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and fry the meatballs for 8 – 10 minutes until browned on all sides and thoroughly cooked. Add the tomato sauce, cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Spoon into individual bowls and top with a generous amount of The Laughing Cow sauce and fresh parsley.