Football is a pretty big deal in our home….especially during this time of year. With the playoffs over and talk of which team will take it all buzzing through our house constantly, there is rarely a day when where to watch the game, who to watch the game with or what to eat while watching the game isn’t discussed. Having grown up in a house full of football fans, it’s really no surprise to me that I have my own little crew that can’t get enough of the sport now. And just as mom my always ensured that we had amazing dishes and plenty of football fun in front of us at game time, I’ve started my own traditions that include lots of football inspiration and my must have sweet and spicy cheese stuffed meatballs!
I’ll admit that over the years I’ve tried a variety of game time goodies to nosh on as we cheer. And while I’ve got a plethera of go-to dishes that grace our tailgate table, one of my family’s favorites is my sweet and spicy cheese stuffed meatballs. No matter what else I serve, this game time treat always disappears first and honestly, it’s so easy to make (but don’t tell them that!). Using a basic meatball recipe, some cheese filling and a delicious sweet and spicy sauce created using French’s® Ketchup, it’s the perfect way to ensure I’m the MVP of our celebrations. So, with the biggest game of the season on the horizon, I of course headed to Walmart for my weekly shopping trip and to stock up on the ingredient that makes these sweet and spicy cheese stuffed meatballs truly amazing; French’s® Ketchup.
Now, I’ll get to the recipe shortly but before I do, it’s only fair to tell you that what makes this recipe a true family favorite is the sauce for the meatballs. It’s just that dang good. And the base of it HAS to be French’s® Ketchup because it uses real ingredients like sugar and high quality tomatoes that taste great and really let all the flavors of this dish shine. Since I don’t have to worry about GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives or artificial flavors of colors in the base of my sauce when using French’s® Ketchup, I can feel really good about what I’m serving to my family! Once I have all of my ingredients and my French’s® Ketchup on hand, assembling this game time treat is simple!
What You Will Need:
2 Pound of Ground Beef
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup of Bread Crumbs
1 Tablespoon of Oregano
1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste
8 Ounces of Cream Cheese (Softened)
1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheese Blend
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic
3/4 Cups of French’s® Ketchup
1/2 Cup of Honey
2 Tablespoons of Sriracha
How to Make It:
This simple sweet and spicy cheese stuffed meatball recipe that is perfect for game time only takes a few steps to make. To start, I added my ground beef, bread crumbs, oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper to a large bowl. After whisking my eggs together, I poured them in and used my hands to combine all my ingredients well.
After setting aside my meat mixture, I grabbed a second bowl and added my cream cheese and shredded cheese to it and combined them well.
With all the components for my cheese stuffed meatballs prepared, I set to work creating them. First, I grabbed a generous amount of the meat mixture (about enough to fill the palm of my hand) and rolled it into a ball.
Then I used my fingers to hollow out the middle of the meat, creating almost a cup shape. Next, I pinched off a small amount of the cream cheese mixture, rolled it into a ball and place it in the middle of the meat.
After squishing the meat around the cheese, I rolled the entire meatball into the shape of a ball once again and placed it on my baking sheet.
I continued to repeat this process until I had about twenty-five meatballs perfectly prepared.
Into the oven my meatballs went at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. At the end of the fifteen minutes, I removed them from the oven, gently turned them until tongs and placed them back in for ten more minutes so that the entire meatball was golden brown and cooked to perfection.
Once my meatballs were perfectly cooked, I set them aside to cool slightly and got to work creating my sweet and spicy sauce that took a good meatball creation and made it great! To start, I added my olive oil and garlic to a saute pan and cooked it until the garlic began to brown. Then I poured my French’s® Ketchup over the garlic. With real ingredients and great taste, I knew that as the base of my sauce only French’s® Ketchup would do! And since it’s a better-for-us option that gives me the great taste of ketchup without all the extra ingredients that I don’t want, it was the perfect starting place for my sauce.
After adding in my honey and sriracha, I allowed my sauce to simmer over low heat until it thickened and became sticky.
As soon as my sauce made with French’s® Ketchup was cooked to perfection, I rolled my waiting cheese stuffed meatballs in it, transferred them to a serving dish and added a small football themed flag to each one.
After pairing my sweet and spicy cheese stuffed meatballs with some fun football themed cups that had been made by gluing white strips of paper in the shape of laces onto them, I was ready to call my hungry team to in.
As I watched them realize what I was serving, I sat back and marveled at the way that the right dish can truly make game time complete! This year, as the final teams battle it out on the field, we’ll all fill our stomachs with the perfect game time snack that delivers big on flavor without all the unwanted extras!
And thanks to the addition of French’s® Ketchup in the sauce, the uncompromising taste that I trust can shine through in each and every bite.
Ready to make your big game celebration extra delicious with the taste of French’s® Ketchup? Start by checking out this video to see what makes this a great condiment and cooking choice for your family!
Then get creative and come up with your own dish featuring French’s® Ketchup that makes game time unforgettable! Head to your local Walmart today to stock up on this family favorite that gives you the taste you crave without all the ingredients you don’t!
Tell me, what fun game time recipe would you make even more delicious using French’s® Ketchup?
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