9/23/13 ChefElla's Mini Cheeseburger Meatballs

CHEFELLA'S MINI CHEESEBURGER MEATBALLS

There is a restaurant where I live, and I heard that all they serve is meatballs.  That made me think, if I had a meatball restaurant what kind would I make?  The only meatballs I had ever seen were the meatballs I ate in my spaghetti.  What other kind of meatballs could there be?  My mom helped me look at the menu for the restaurant and it turns out there are all sorts of meatballs.  There were so many meatballs, that there were even vegetable meatballs, although they really aren't called meatballs.  After looking at the menu I decided that I would like a cheeseburger meatball.  I tried a few other kinds of meatballs, Swedish Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Chicken Meatballs, Turkey Meatballs, Spicy Meatballs, and a few others, but I like cheeseburgers, so it sounded fun to make a cheeseburger meatball.  After you try this recipe you can make up your own meatball using your favorite ingredients.

For this recipe you will need to use a knife and the oven.  If you are not allowed to use a knife or the oven by yourself you can have a grown up help.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups and spoons, a cookie sheet, a large mixing bowl, a knife, aluminum foil, a small scooper and a cutting board.

Mini Cheeseburger Meatballs (This recipe will make about 15-20 small meatballs)

Ingredients:
1 Lb.       Hamburger Meat 80/20
               -80/20 means that for every one pound of meat that a little over three quarters of the mix is
                meat and the rest is fat.  Remember a little fat is ok, but when you eat a lot of fat and sugar it
                can be really bad for you.  If you would like less fat in your meatball you can choose 90/10
                meat or another meat like turkey or chicken.

3-4oz.      Cheddar Cheese, Medium Diced
                Cut the cheddar cheese into squares about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch.  A little bigger or smaller will
                still be o.k.

1 tsp         Salt
1/4 tsp      Black Pepper
1/4 tsp      Garlic Powder
1 ea          Egg

(Pre-Heat your oven to 425F.)

3. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with pan spray.
4. Crack the egg into your bowl.  Mix the egg with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.

5. Add the hamburger and blend the mixture with your hands.  Squeeze all of the ingredients together.

6. When the ingredients are mixed it will be time to make your meatballs.

7. With your small scoop, scoop out your meatballs.  Each meatball should be about 1oz.  If you make
    bigger or smaller meatballs it is ok, you will just need to adjust your cooking time.

8. After all of your meatballs are made take one and pull it in half.  Put a piece of cheese in the center,
    and mold the meatball around it.  Roll the meatball in your hands until it looks like a ball again.

9. Put the finished meatball on the pan and then finish the rest.

10. When all of the meatballs are finished wash your hands really well with soap and water.  Put the
       pan in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Don't worry if some of the cheese comes
       out when you cook them, they will still taste like cheeseburgers.
      -Note:  If you make bigger or smaller meatballs they make take a minute or two more or less to
       cook.

These meatballs would be a great addition to your macaroni and cheese, served with fries or chips, or turned into a cheeseburger meatball submarine sandwich.  Remember the next time you make your meatballs you can change or add ingredients to make them your favorite.  Try bacon, blue cheese, peppers, onions, parmesan, or whatever else you can think of.

Enjoy

- ChefElla

Coronation Chicken with Bombay Spices

serves 4

200ml Oak Smoked Mayonnaise (or store bought)
50g Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. tomato puree
2 tbsp. My Secret Kitchen Bombay Onion Cheese Ball Mix
My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt to taste
25g raisins
400g cooked chicken, shredded
Toasted flaked almonds to garnish

Mix together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and tomato puree in a large bowl and stir in the Bombay Cheese Ball Mix. Season with the Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt to taste. Add the raisins, shredded chicken and refrigerate for 1 hour, stir again, sprinkle with the toasted almonds and serve with salad and French bread or our Bombay Onion & Cheese Tear & Share Bread.

Oak Smoked Mayonnaise

Surprisingly easy to make - give it a go!

Makes 200ml

2 egg yolks
50ml My Secret Kitchen Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil
150ml plain rapeseed oil or olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste


Make sure the egg yolks are at room temperature before you start and mix the 2 oils together. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with a pinch of salt and drop by drop start to add the oil, whisking all the time. Keep whisking and adding the oil until it comes together into a lovely whipped emulsion. Slowly whisk in half of the lemon juice, taste and add more salt and lemon if needed. If the mayonnaise starts to split you can add another egg yolk or a little warm water. For flavour variations you can add mustard, saffron, dill or try your own mayonnaise flavour creations. Gorgeous with salmon, asparagus or just chunky chips with My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt.

Cookie Crunch Brownies

Makes 16 squares or 32 triangles

1 pkt My Secret Kitchen Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix
100g butter, melted
3 medium eggs, whisked together
16 chocolate sandwich cookies
200ml double cream
60g My Secret Kitchen Toffee Hot Chocolate Mix

Preheat oven 150C, grease and line 20cm x 20cm tin
Empty the Brownie mix into a bowl and mix in the melted butter before whisking in the eggs until thoroughly combined. Place half of the Brownie batter into the prepared tin and smooth over. Place the sandwich cookies in a 4 x 4 combination across the batter before topping with the remaining mix and smooth over. Bake for 25 minutes or until the brownies are risen and golden. To make the ganache, warm the cream gently in a saucepan and whisk in the Toffee Hot Chocolate Mix; continue to stir until the chocolate has melted and the cream is thick. Pour over the Brownies whilst still in the tin and leave to set. Cut into 16 squares for a hidden cookie in each Brownie or cut into 32 triangles for petit fours.

Red Pepper, Chicken & Walnut Fettuccine

From our 'Cook Once, Eat Twice' blog - pair up with Roasted Red Pepper Chicken for 2 meals in 1!

Serves 4

1 red pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbsp. My Secret Kitchen Red Pepper Cheese Ball Mix
400g cooked chicken, sliced
75g walnuts, crushed
250g fettuccine (dry weight)
200ml crème fraiche
chopped parsley to garnish

Heat the oil and sauté the peppers together with the onion until soft and starting to brown at the edges. Stir in the Red Pepper Cheese Ball Mix and put to one side.  Cook the fettuccine in lots of boiling salted water, drain and keep warm whilst finishing the sauce. Add the chicken and walnuts to the cooked pepper mixture and heat gently before adding in the crème fraiche. When ready to serve, mix together the sauce with the fettucine and pile high on a plate before garnishing with chopped parsley.

TIP: adding a little oil to the cooking water for the pasta stops the fettuccine sticking together too much

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

This is from our 'Cook Once, Eat Twice' blog post, pair up with Red Pepper, Chicken & Walnut Fettucine for 2 meals in 1!

Serves 4

4 chicken leg portions
2 tbsp. olive oil
200g un-smoked bacon lardons
My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt,
100g full fat cream cheese
3 tsp My Secret Kitchen Red Pepper Cheese Ball Mix
zest 1/2 lemon
1 red pepper, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced

Preheat oven 200C
Mix the cream cheese with the Red Pepper Cheese Ball Mix along with the lemon zest and refrigerate for 30mins.
Loosen the skin from the chicken portions and stuff each portion with an equal amount of the red pepper cream cheese. Mix the peppers, onion and bacon with 1 tbsp. of the oil and place in a roasting tray. Rub the chicken portions with the remaining oil and place on top of the red pepper and onions before seasoning with Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt. Roast for 40 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked through; baste with the juices half way through cooking. Serve with French bread and a green salad. Works equally well with a whole roast chicken for a Sunday lunch centre piece.

Steak Nacho Tacos

This recipe is part of our blog post 'Cook Once, Eat Twice' and uses another recipe to create 2 meals in 1!

Serves 4 (2 tacos each)

1 quantity of Pie Filling from Mediterranean Steak Pie
8 corn taco shells
75g sweet corn
75g black beans
2 tbsp. My Secret Kitchen Nacho Fiesta Cheese Ball Mix
Grated cheese to garnish

Add the sweet corn, black beans and Nacho Fiesta Cheese Ball Mix to the steak pie filling in a saucepan and heat gently until heated through.  When ready to serve, fill the taco shells with the filling and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve immediately.