Saucy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Meatballs BY MEAGHAN DAWSON FROM BEAUTYFROMBURNTTOAST
Hi. My name is Meaghan. And I am obsessed with cheese. Whew. There. I said it. It’s out in the open, no more reason to be ashamed. Okay? So I’m only partially kidding. It’s never been a secret and I am not ashamed about this because it is true and valid and, honestly, something I feel is worthy of my obsession.
The Cheesy Truth
Think about it. Cheese is just about the richest, most versatile comfort food on the planet. It can come in a million different forms, flavors, and renderings. It can be served cold or hot. I can take a basic dish and elevate it to idol-like status. And it’s dang tasty, too.
I am a fan of cheese in all forms. I’m not picky. Give me a cheese board for dinner and I am a happy lady. A slice of New York-style pizza oozing with melty cheese? Dreamboat status. Feta on a salad? Game changer. Anyway, any form and I am happy and satisfied.
Especially in this recipe for Saucy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Meatballs where cheese is the star, the understudy, and the director all at once.
I wish I could take total credit for the dream behind this recipe, but sadly I can’t. I have to give mad props to my equally cheese-obsessed daughter who said one night at the dinner table over a plate of plain old spaghetti and meatballs, “Mom. You know what would be great? What if we stuffed these meatballs with cheese? I mean, talk about AMAZING!”
Out of the mouths of babes….
Because it IS great. There is something so decadent about biting into a meatball covered with melted cheese to find, you guessed it, more cheese. These bundles of heaven are crisp on the outside thanks to the breadcrumb coating and the light skillet sear and incredibly moist on the inside, thanks to the cheese. I serve them with a side of plain spaghetti and more sauce for the family, but I also love to throw in a bit pan of steamed broccoli as well.
Because life is all about balance, Pretties. We know this. No matter how you serve them, I promise you’re going to fall into cheesy love too. So enjoy!
12ozfresh mozzarella8 ounces cut into small squares and 4 ounces sliced thin (or use mozzarella balls for stuffing if desired)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spread ½ cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a cast iron skillet OR square casserole dish. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine chicken, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and salt, mixing with your hands until completely incorporated (will be sticky!)
Divide chicken mixture into 12 equal sections, rolling them into loosely formed meatballs.
In a shallow bowl, add 1 cup breadcrumbs.
Taking each meatball, flatten to a circle and slightly indent the center with your thumb.
Insert a piece of cheese and enclose completely with the chicken mixture (might be easier with damp hands). Roll the formed meatball in the breadcrumbs until coated.
Repeat with all 12 meatballs.
In a lightly oiled skillet over medium high heat, cook meatballs until lightly browned on every side. Then place in the prepared skillet or casserole dish.
Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Remove from oven and cover with remaining 1 cup pasta sauce, remaining 4 ounces of fresh mozzerlla and ¼ cup parmesan.
Return to oven and bake for 10-12 more minutes or until meatballs are completely cooked through.
Broil for a few minutes longer if you desire the cheese to be bubbly and slightly browned.
ENJOY!
Your turn! Are you a Fan of All Things Cheese like me? What’s your favorite way to enjoy cheese?
Meaghan is a wife, mom of three, dog lover, coffee freak, and book nerd. When she’s not wrangling her family and driving them around town in her Mom Taxi, she is a writer, blogger, and recipe creator over at BeautyfromBurntToast. Her biggest passion is helping people feel confident in the kitchen by making cooking accessible with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. In a roundabout way, this makes her a wanna be GYPO for the kitchen and explains why she loves the outfit formulas so much. They’re easy and accessible and make life better for everyone.
It’s springtime in my neck of the woods, and that means it’s time for a few things to happen in my life:
It’s time to load up on allergy meds and get out my pollen mask (because I live in Texas, after all).
It’s time to slowly reintroduce my legs back into society with gentle, slow exposure to sunshine in safe, protected environments (read: in my backyard, alone, so they don’t blind anyone with their paleness).
It’s time to get out the belt sander and some pretty pink polish and tackle my hibernating feet.
Yes, in case you were wondering, there are seasons for food just like there are seasons for clothes. They arrive in a subtle fashion in comparison, of course. There aren’t chefs designing new spring lines and hosting food fashion shows. At least that I know of. But they exist nonetheless.
In the fall and winter, we crave comfort and heft in our food, with rich soups and stews and heavy desserts on our menus. But in spring and summer, we want lightness to mimic the breezes and sunshine. The flavors of spring echo the colors outside, bright and airy, filled with gentle sweetness and warmth. They’re lemony and flowery and filled with light and all of the feels of the season.
Plus, they taste amazing.
And that’s why I’m so excited for them. There’s something about that first bite of juicy berries or the first ripe tomato. They set the tone for the next few months and breathe life back into our cold-hardened bones.
I think that’s why this recipe for Blueberry Cobbler is a favorite in my house. It ushers in the season when we all bust out of our winter cocoons and start gathering outside again. It tastes like summer and sunshine and brightness. And it also happens to be the one dessert my husband requests every year for his birthday. I call it “spring in a casserole dish,” which is a wonderful thing.
I always recommend serving this warm with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you don’t have any in the freezer, a big dollop of whipped cream will do. But definitely serve it warm. It is a #gamechanger for this sweet spring dessert.
1/2cupsugar (I use coconut sugar but white works as well)
1/2teaspoonflour
pinchof salt
1tablespoonmelted butter
Cobbler Topping
1 3/4cupflour
4teaspoonsbaking powder
1/3cupsugar (use white here)
5tablespoonscold butter cut into little pieces
1cupmilk
1teaspoonvanilla
1teaspoonsugar
1/4teaspooncinnamon
Instructions
Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 375.
Put blueberries in the baking dish and mix in vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Sprinkle in sugar, flour (the 1/2 teaspoon), salt, and stir in melted butter. Set aside.
Now for the topping! In a sperate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in chilled butter until it resembles a coarse sand (I use my hands). Make a well in the center and pour in milk and vanilla, stir until just wet. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
Spoon the batter over the blueberries. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden, checking at 25 minutes. Cool but serve warm with ice cream on the side.
ENJOY!
Like what you see? Check out some of Meghan’s other GYPO inspired recipes HERE plus be sure to visit her at BeautyFromBurntToast!
About Meaghan
Meaghan is a wife, mom of three, dog lover, coffee freak, and book nerd. When she’s not wrangling her family and driving them around town in her Mom Taxi, she is a writer, blogger, and recipe creator over at BeautyfromBurntToast. Her biggest passion is helping people feel confident in the kitchen by making cooking accessible with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. In a roundabout way, this makes her a wanna be GYPO for the kitchen and explains why she loves the outfit formulas so much. They’re easy and accessible and make life better for everyone.
I don’t like to brag, but last Easter my family went viral.
No, not with COVID.
We went viral on TikTok with what started as a funny video of our dear Aunt Sally hunting for the lone lost Easter egg, long after the actual hunt had ended and an impromptu game of tackle football had broken out all around her, all set to popular music. Innocent enough, we were just entertaining ourselves really, but in the end, we somehow had 100k views (and counting).
We’re sort of kind of famous. Which is cool.
Since then, my niece and I have tried to recreate this viral success at every subsequent family gathering. We have tried multiple #challenges and #trends with varying degrees of success, though in the end, dear Aunt Sally has thus far been our only certifiable viral hit.
One of these attempted challenges, in particular, hit close to home. It was Christmas Day and after a few failed dances (rhythm is not in our genes), we settled on the #toxictrait challenge, where the camera pans across the room and as it settles on different family members, their #toxictrait (according to us) pops up.
Ever the eclectic bunch, our family’s toxic traits went a little like this:
*reads Plato for fun
*would rather be in his woodshed sawing things
*secretly sleeps on piles of cash
*only bring sarcastic comments and viral TikToks to family gatherings
And, finally, mine was:
*is a food blogger whose kids only eat chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. TOUCHE!
More than a little hurtful because of its truthfulness, this one hits close to home because I am a food blogger and my kids, more often than not, do eat chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese for dinner. This is not due to lack of trying or laziness on my part. I am not just a food blogger for show, I love to cook for my family. It’s because they are tweens and teens. They are in a mildly rebellious stage (collectively), and they just so happen to really like these things.
Honestly, I don’t blame them. They’re tasty and comforting.
If it’s Nuggets they want…
So, in the interest of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” I created this easy homemade chicken nugget recipe that all of my children, even the pickiest one, agrees is better than Chick Fil A. As a bonus, it’s also Gluten-Free and easy to make.
The great thing about this recipe is its flexibility. If you’re short on time or cutting nuggets isn’t your jam, make chicken tenders with store-bought tenderloins instead. If you would rather bake them, you can do so in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, flipping once about halfway through. For easy clean-up, use parchment paper under a broiler rack and you’ve got yourself an all-around weeknight #winnerwinnerchickendinner.
I have had multiple requests to make this recipe air fryer friendly, however, in full disclosure, every attempt has been a massive fail. I will keep trying, though, because my second #toxictrait is that I never give up on anything. So I’ll keep you posted if that changes.
In the meantime, Pretties. Here’s to toxic traits, TikTok’s, and funny family stories!
In a medium bowl, combine corn starch, spices, and flour (if not GF).
Stir gently with a fork.
Add chicken and toss to coat, making sure there is a dusting on all sides of each piece.
Transfer chicken to a mesh strainer to get rid of the excess flour. Set aside.
In a large skillet, add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan.
Working in batches, add chicken pieces, giving a quick shake before dropping in.
Try to make sure the pieces are in a single layer and NOT touching each other.
Once cooked through and brown remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.
IMMEDIATELY sprinkle with salt.
Repeat in batches until done.
*If you prefer to bake the nuggets instead, spread out dusted chicken on a sheet pan and bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, flipping once about halfway.
About Meaghan
Meaghan is a wife, mom of three, dog lover, coffee freak, and book nerd. When she’s not wrangling her family and driving them around town in her Mom Taxi, she is a writer, blogger, and recipe creator over at BeautyfromBurntToast. Her biggest passion is helping people feel confident in the kitchen by making cooking accessible with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. In a roundabout way, this makes her a wanna be GYPO for the kitchen and explains why she loves the outfit formulas so much. They’re easy and accessible and make life better for everyone.
Last year, in what can only be described as a fit of naive motivation, I decided to participate in a #veganuary challenge with a friend.
What is #veganuary, you ask?
Well, Pretties, #veganuary is a social media-driven challenge for January where participants pledge to consume ZERO animal products for the entire month of January. Yes, I’ll repeat that for those who blanked out in shock for a second. For the entire month of January 2021, I consumed ZERO ANIMAL PRODUCTS at all.
Now, to be fair, during this period both faithful followers and my own family questioned my sanity and doubted my ability to make it through to the 31st. I’m not going to argue and say that this isn’t a fair concern. ‘Cause, it wasn’t easy and there were times when I was doubting myself. But the thing is, at least when it comes to the vegan journey, I had committed to a friend that we would do it together and accountability is really everything, isn’t it? So for one entire month, nary an animal product crossed my lips. And this, dear reader, is how it went – AWESOME!
OK, wait. I know you’re confused by this. But bear with me.
Hard at First But Worth it
It was hard at first and required a little upfront investment in things like Vegan Butter, cashews, meatless products, and LOTS and LOTS of veggies. It also required a tremendous amount of planning for those evenings when your family is running like crazy from activity to activity. Then your husband walks through the door with a giant bag of steaming Chick Fil A at the end of it all, you’d better have a plan or you are caving FAST. And it definitely involved a few days of feeling deprived, annoyed, and more than a little bit hungry to get in the groove.
But once I did, I began to notice a few things. I noticed that my head was clearer in the afternoon after a lunch filled with veggies and lean plant protein. I noticed that my skin cleared up and started to look just a smidge like it did when I was in my 30s, which I attribute to the complete halt of all dairy products. My belly, which definitely had moments of “hey, I’m not pregnant but I sure look like I am” decided to debloat itself, and I lost a few pounds. These were all things I definitely could live with and enough to persuade me to bring about a repeat performance of #veganuary in 2022.
I understand how difficult it is for many of us to conceptualize dropping all animal products for even a week, much less a month. But I do think it’s beneficial for everyone at least once in their lives to eliminate or limit animal products in their diets just to see how their bodies respond. And the best way I know to encourage people to try it is to create easy and delicious plant-based recipes that are designed to make them forget about missing meat and dairy for a meal or two.
This completely vegan Potato Soup is just one of those recipes. An adaptation of one of my earliest slow cooker recipes, this is a plant-based version of the creamiest, most comforting potato soup you’ll ever have. It is so stick-to-your-ribs delicious and so convincing that you won’t even notice you’re missing the dairy. In fact, I simply omitted this little fact when I served my vegan potato soup to my own family and they never knew the difference. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s easy to throw together in the crockpot and go about your day.
Do I think we all need to be vegans for life? No. I don’t. But I think incorporating plant-based meals into our diets can have multiple benefits. I truly hope that amazing recipes like this one make it a little easier to give it a try.
Thinly sliced scallions, chives, bacon, and cheese (if not vegan) for toppings.
Instructions
Add potatoes, onions, and broth to the slow cooker. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and stir. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until potatoes are tender.
About 30 minutes before soup will be done, pour boiling water over cashews JUST until they are covered and let rest for 10 minutes to soften.
In a high speed blender, puree cashews AND water until completely blended. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
Add in flour, whisking continuously until bubbly.
Add in pureed cashews and sour cream, whisking until smooth.
Add to soup and stir to mix.
Cook for 10 more minutes
Remove half of the soup to a bowl and, using an immersion blender, puree the remaining soup until smooth (alternatively, add half of soup to blender, cover lid with a towel and blend until smooth)
Combine blended and unblended soup, stirring to combine.
Taste, season with salt and pepper if desired.
Serve with sliced chives and scallions (or bacon and cheddar if not vegan).
Add broth to loosen during reheating.
Meaghan is a wife, mom of three, dog lover, coffee freak, and book nerd. When she’s not wrangling her family and driving them around town in her Mom Taxi, she is a writer, blogger, and recipe creator over at BeautyfromBurntToast. Her biggest passion is helping people feel confident in the kitchen by making cooking accessible with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. In a roundabout way, this makes her a wanna be GYPO for the kitchen and explains why she loves the outfit formulas so much. They’re easy and accessible and make life better for everyone.
If you are anything like me, December leaves me with an attitude that’s a little less “peace on earth and goodwill to men” and a little more Ebenezer Scrooge (or at the very least, Clark Griswold) until the final present is opened and the last bite of Christmas dessert is consumed. It’s not that I don’t love the holidays, they are truly my favorite time of the year. But no matter how much I tell myself I’m going to be chill and take it easy so I can actually enjoy the season without losing my ever-loving mind, I never manage to actually be chill and take it easy.
Instead, I spend most of the month with a to-do list the length of a small skyscraper, wrapping paper up to my kneecaps, and a kitchen overrun with peppermint sticks, hot chocolate packages, marshmallows, and a mysteriously sticky floor.
All of this is to say–the holidays are busy. We know we’re supposed to slow down and savor the season, but somehow when the month of December rolls around each year we forget this little mantra and go full-speed ahead until December 26th. The truth is that most of us, as the female members of the family, carry the weight of the holidays on our shoulders. We shouldn’t. We know this. We should delegate or involve our own real-life Mr. Clauses in the planning and execution of all of the Christmas magic. But we often don’t. And that often leaves us worn-down, tired-out, and more than a little Grinch-like by Christmas Eve.
Or maybe that’s just me.
But, given that I am the Queen of making things easy on myself, at least in the kitchen. I decided to create this simple appetizer to take at least some of the pressure off when I’m entertaining. A tad bit deceiving, these Bite-Sized Crostini look like they took a very long time and a lot of effort. But of course, they didn’t, just no one has to know that part. It’ll be our little GYPO secret.
Like all of my recipes, this is one you can play with. I call for a quick spin with the mixer for the goat cheese, but if you’re feeling lazy, just mash it up a bit with a fork. I realize that I am having a make your own jam moment (see my raspberry version here) but if you’re feeling extra lazy (which, hey, it’s the holidays and you’ve done enough already, so be lazy if you wanna. It’s totally fine), just use good quality jarred jam. It will probably be just as good, especially if it’s from a farmers’ market.
Play with your food. Make it your own. This isn’t just my recipe; if you make it, it’s yours too, so make it fun!
CROSTINI WITH WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE AND QUICK BLACKBERRY JAM
1/2 loafcrusty French bread (alternatively, if you can find pre-sliced crostini, AWESOME)
8ouncesblackberriesEasily sub in store bought jam for blackberries. It will taste just as good!
2teaspoonmaple syrup
10ouncesgoat cheeseIf you have an ALDI try their cranberry-coated goat cheese – it is life-changing!
1tablespoon honey
Instructions
Preheat broiler
Slice bread in thin (1/2 inch) slices on the diagonal (skip if you have pre-sliced).
Brush lightly with olive oil.
Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Meanwhile, in a small heavy bottom saucepan, combine blackberries and syrup. Cook on low heat, mashing and stirring until a jam-like consistency is formed. If using store bough jam, heat up slightly.
Set aside.
In a small bowl, whip (or mash) the goat cheese and salt together.
To assemble:
Top each crostini with a spoonful of goat cheese and then jam.
Right before serving, drizzly with honey and top with mint.
Enjoy!
About Meaghan
Meaghan is a wife, mom of three, dog lover, coffee freak, and book nerd. When she’s not wrangling her family and driving them around town in her Mom Taxi, she is a writer, blogger, and recipe creator over at BeautyfromBurntToast. Her biggest passion is helping people feel confident in the kitchen by making cooking accessible with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. In a roundabout way, this makes her a wanna be GYPO for the kitchen and explains why she loves the outfit formulas so much. They’re easy and accessible and make life better for everyone.
HEY PRETTY!
Do you struggle to put outfits together? Are you stuck in a yoga pants rut? Not sure if you can make the latest trends work for you? You’re in the right place!
I’m Alison, a mom of three and recovering yoga pants addict on a mission to make getting dressed and feeling pretty the easiest thing you do all day! Learn more about my story HERE.
I am so glad I was part of the Fall 2019 Style Challenge. It gave me confidence and so many great outfitt ideas. The ladies in the group were very supportive and I will defintetly be doing another challenge in the future.
Betty Weyandt Lamont December 20, 2019
I’ve been participating in the GYPO Style Challenges for three years now and I’ve loved it. I’ve always loved clothes, but I didn’t know how to put outfits together. My closet is now full of mix-and-match outfits, I have learned how to dress myself, and there is no more stress in figuring out to wear. The private FB group is full of wonderful ladies that build each other up. It’s so fun and is seriously the best group on FB.
Kirstin Rasmussen McFarlane November 20, 2019
Get Your Pretty On has changed my life, seriously. I have always chased what is trendy but found from season to season, that things go out of style and I was wasting money on items that I would only end up wearing a few times. GYPO has enabled me to simplify my closet, helps me make smarter purchasing decisions, and I feel so put together and confident using the outfit formulas that are provided. This program is a GAME CHANGER. I've been following GYPO for a few years now and my only regret is not jumping on board sooner.
Michelle Kline November 20, 2019
Great community of ladies, helping each other look stylish, without breaking the bank, and using much of what you already own.
Chosen Faith November 19, 2019
GYPO challenges have been one of the best things I have done! It had taught me so much more than just creating a closet of clothes that I love but also to have confidence in myself, how to pick and choose colors that work for me instead of against, and had given a wonderful community of Pretties who are so special.
Maraline Freeman October 16, 2019
I love GYPO!!! I finally feel put together and stylish! The shopping lists and outfit combinations make shopping and getting dressed effortless.
Krista Probst October 16, 2019
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