Broccoli and smoked cheese meatballs are incredibly soft and delicious meatballs prepared with a base of steamed broccoli, cheese, eggs, and breadcrumbs, featuring a gooey and flavorful smoked cheese center. They are very easy to make and will be well-received at the table.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
Serves about 12 meatballs
- 1 lb lbs steamed broccoli
- 2 tbsps breadcrumbs (plus for coating)
- 2 tbsps tbsps grated Grana Padano
- 1 egg
- salt
- 3 slices smoked cheese
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Steps
To prepare the broccoli meatballs, start by cutting the smoked cheese. If you have sliced smoked cheese, cut about 12 strips, or if it’s in a block, cut about 12 cubes. Set it aside and proceed to prepare the meatball mixture. In a bowl, place the previously steamed broccoli, 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of grated Grana Padano, the egg, and the salt. Mash the broccoli with a fork and mix everything well until you have a more or less homogeneous mixture. Now proceed to form the meatballs. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture, make a ball with your hands. Press in the center and insert a piece of smoked cheese or a rolled strip of smoked cheese. Then recombine the meatball, closing it into a ball shape.
Set the meatball aside and continue to create more meatballs until you have used up all the ingredients. On a plate, pour a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and gently coat the meatballs in it. Once all the meatballs are breaded, proceed with cooking by frying them in a pan with plenty of hot vegetable oil (around 338°F) for about 10 minutes. Turn them halfway through cooking for an even golden color.
Serve hot and gooey.
