I love nothing more than a good meatball. But when I think of meatballs, I don’t necessarily think of summer. I think of them being more in the “cozy comfort food” category that you’re supposed to crave on a cold, wintery day. Well, I wanted to change that and bring you a more summer-fied version. A version that you could throw on the grill…maybe this weekend when it’s 4th of July!
This post is sponsored ALDI. I went there to get all of the ingredients for this very summery lil’ recipe and a ton more super affordable baking items (read: flour, sugar, brown sugar, etc). I literally can’t walk into ALDI without stocking up on baking ingredients and fresh summery-y produce.
As for summer, they have everything you’ll need, including 100% Organic Grass Fed Organic ground beef, which is perfect for making burgers and most importantly, meatballs.
Before this post, I had never grilled meatballs. Man, I was missing out. I love meatballs to begin with, but the crispiness and flavor that grilling provides is really special.
I threaded them on a skewer and grilled them with a bit of oil. They were delicious. I loved the slightly charred flavor and the chimichurri on top just made it taste super fresh and summer-like. I love queso fresco cheese on everything so when I sprinkled a bit on top of the meatballs, the salty flavor really hit the spot.
I put these on a piece of bread and called it a meatball sandwich but really the meatballs could be made all on their own and eaten with a side salad or my favorite salad: one with pasta in it.
I’m still not sure what I’m doing for 4th of July but I hopefully it will involve Amelia, myself, Joshua, a pool and some grilled meatball sandwiches.
Ingredients
Meatballs:Â
- 1 tablespoon Carlini 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil olive oilÂ
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound Simply Nature 100% Grass Fed Organic Grass Fed Ground BeefÂ
- 1/4 cup Chef’s Cupboard Italian Bread CrumbsÂ
- 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon Stonemill SaltÂ
- 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Crushed Red PepperÂ
- Oil, for searing the meatballsÂ
Chimichurri:Â
- 1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup Carlini 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil olive oilÂ
- 1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Crushed Red Pepper OR 1 fresno chile pepper dicedÂ
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove minced (if you love garlic, add 2 cloves, this is your world!)Â
- Stonemill Salt
Assembly:Â
- Bread of choice such as Specially Selected French Baguette
- 2 ounces Pueblo Lindo Queso Fresco or queso blanco crumbedÂ
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- To a small skillet, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. When warm, add the shallot and garlic cloves; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. In a medium bowl, add the meat, sautéed onion mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and crushed red pepper. Mix ingredients together until barely combined. Form balls using your hands (or a cookie scooper—my preferred preference) and set aside. Repeat until you’ve worked your way through all of the meatballs.Â
- Skewer the meatballs two at a time. You can either cook these on a grill or in a grill pan. Whichever method you use, rub the grill or grill pan with a bit of oil. Turn to medium high heat, and when hot, add the meatballs. Cook for about 5 minutes on its first side and then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Repeat until you’ve worked through all of the meatballs.Â
To Make the Chimichurri:Â
- In a bowl, combine the Italian parsley, olive oil, chile, lemon juice and minced garlic. Give it a stir and add a few pinches of salt. Give it a taste and adjust the salt to your liking.Â
To Assemble the Sandwiches:Â
- Place a few meatballs on toasted bread, top with a few spoonfuls of chimichurri and a sprinkling of cheese. Serve immediately.Â
Nutrition
(This post is sponsored by ALDI. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy Kitchen cozy.)
Yum!! These look so good! I’m thinking they would be a perfect weeknight dinner
Yum! What a lovely way to use meatball! Maybe I’ll try to grill these on the BBQ!
yummy. looks delicious!
This is soooo right up my alley! The Argentinian in me is proud!
These look terrific! We love meatballs in our pasta, but I hadn’t thought about on a sandwich. My boyfriend will be all over this!! Yum!
Mollie
www.molliebellezza.com