Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

This recipe makes 32-36 generously sized meatballs

3 lbs ground beef
3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 eggs + 3 egg yolks
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp onion powder
3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
4-5 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into eighths

Combine all ingredients except cheese in a large bowl.  Mix together with your hands until everything is evenly incorporated.  Do not over-mix.  Scoop out about 4 Tbsp of meat mixture & form into a ball.  Gently push a piece of cheese into the middle of the meatball.  Roll the ball in your hands to cover the hole where the cheese was inserted.  Place meatballs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper & flash freeze.  Place frozen meatballs in a ziploc bag, remove air & seal.

To serve:
Place frozen meatballs in a baking dish, top with marinara sauce, & bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Or, thaw meatballs overnight in refrigerator, then place them in a slow cooker.  Cover & cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for 3-4 hours, until meat is cooked through (note: cheese may start to melt out of the meatballs if you choose this method).  Top cooked meatballs with warm marinara sauce and chopped fresh parsley.

Adapted from a recipe found here.