Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

We had a terrific weekend last week.  Black Friday shopping, Ohio State beat Michigan, Bengals beat Carson Palmer and Cleveland Browns beat the Steelers.

Here is Billy and his friends at the OSU/Michigan game.  He said it was one of the best Ohio State games he has ever been to.  Billy and his friends were able to buy tickets to all the home games since they are attending Ohio State.  On Tuesday night last week he participated in another Ohio State tradition which was to jump in Mirror Lake before the Michigan game.  I have read in some news articles that there were between 10,000 and 12,000 students who jumped in the lake on campus.  I was worried about him doing this but he had a great time and only got a small cut on his head.  He says he will do it again next year.  I think they are all crazy.

Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
adapted from Paula Deen

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
4 T Parmesan cheese
1 to 1 1/2 C bread crumbs
3 large eggs
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 t basil
2 T parsley
1/2 t dried oregano
6 strips of string cheese cut into 30 pieces
Spaghetti Sauce
cooked Spaghetti

In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, Parmesan  eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley and dried oregano.  Add bread crumbs 1/2 C at a time until mixture is not to wet and can be formed into balls easily.  Form mixture into 30 balls, using your thumb to press a hole in the center.  Insert a piece of the cheese into the hole and close the hole by pushing the meatball mixture around it to secure the cheese inside each ball.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until meatballs are brown and cooked through.  Serve over spaghetti with sauce or alone dipped in pizza sauce