The trick to super tender meatballs? Baking them of course! It allows plenty of moisture and flavour to stay in your meatballs where they belong. Cheddar cheese and a crusty ciabatta loaf add an indulgent touch to this delicious dish.
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2 clove
garlic
2 sachet
dried oregano
2 unit
carrot
1 head
broccoli
1 packet
beef mince
2 packet
fine breadcrumbs
(Contains Gluten; May be present Peanut, Sesame, Milk, Soy, Almond, Brazil Nut, Cashew, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Pine Nut, Walnut. )
1 sachet
Italian Herbs
1 tin
Crushed & Sieved Tomatoes
1 packet
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
(Contains Milk; )
2 unit
ciabatta
(Contains Gluten, Soy; May be present Egg, Sesame, Tree Nuts, Peanut, Sulphites, Milk. )
1 bag
green beans
olive oil
2 unit
egg
(Contains Egg; )
½ tsp
salt
2 tsp
sugar
Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced. Thinly slice the garlic. Cut the broccoli into small florets and cut the stalk into 1cm pieces. Trim the green beans, then slice in half. Grate the carrot (unpeeled).
In a medium bowl, combine the beef mince, eggs, Italian herbs, fine breadcrumbs and the salt. Using damp hands, take a heaped spoonful of the beef mixture and shape into a small meatball. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture (you should get about 20 meatballs).
In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned, 5-7 minutes (the meatballs will continue cooking in step 4). Transfer the meatballs to a medium baking dish and set aside.
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Add the garlic, dried oregano and carrot and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the passata and sugar and bring to the boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the baking dish and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10 minutes.
While the meatballs are baking, place the ciabatta directly on the wire rack in the oven and bake until crusty on the outside and steaming hot on the inside, 10-12 minutes. Wipe out the frying pan and return to a medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and a splash of water and cook until starting to soften, 3 minutes. Add the green beans and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. TIP: Add a little more water if the pan looks dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the cheesy baked beef meatballs and greens between bowls. Serve the crusty ciabatta on the side (perfect for scooping up the sauce!).