Miniature Meatball Panini Recipes

MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl or mixer, thoroughly mix the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, eggs, garlic, onion and some salt and pepper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Shape into meatballs and place on a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake 30 minutes for medium or 25 minutes for bite-size. Stick toothpicks in the finished meatballs to serve as an appetizer.

CHEESY MEATBALL SLIDERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, pesto and egg; mix lightly. Shape into 12 meatballs; place on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake until browned and a thermometer reads 160°, about 35 minutes. Toss meatballs with sauce; set aside., Meanwhile, without separating rolls, cut horizontally in half; arrange bottom halves in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Place half of cheese slices over roll bottoms; sprinkle with oregano. Add meatballs and sauce. Top with remaining cheese slices and bun tops., Combine butter, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes; brush over buns. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella., Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

MINIATURE MEATBALL PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a food processor or blender, process the ends of the loaf of bread to fine breadcrumbs, about 1/2 cup. Set the remaining bread aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, meat, egg, cheeses, parsley, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs. Mix with your hands to combine well.
• Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls and reserve on a baking sheet. Lay 2 slices of bread on work surface. Butter one side of each piece. Place 4 meatballs on the buttered surface of the slice of bread. Top with a second slice of bread, buttered side down, and press firmly to adhere. Use a serrated knife to cut the crusts from the bread. Bake the crusts separately for a "chef's treat." Repeat with the remaining meatballs and bread. This process can be done assembly-line style, lining up slices of buttered bread and assembling a number at a time. Prepare 2 baking sheets at a time if possible.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat, if necessary, until all sandwiches are cooked. Remove from the pan and cool. Serve slightly warm.

MEATBALL PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or panini maker. Brush the onion slices on both sides with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Grill the onion slices until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.
• Pull out and remove some of the bread from each half of the rolls. Spoon half of the sauce over the bottom halves of the rolls. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if using. Add the arugula, meatballs, prosciutto slices, grilled onions and the remaining sauce. Place 2 slices of cheese on top. Add the tops of the rolls and drizzle with olive oil. Using a pastry brush, brush the oil evenly over the tops.
• Place the sandwiches in a panini maker and cook until the cheese has melted and the meatballs are heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Cut the panini in half and serve.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, parsley, milk, tomato paste, salt, pepper, eggs, garlic and onions. Using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the ground turkey and sausage meat. Using fingers, gently mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
• Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (22 to 24 meatballs). Place the meatballs on a heavy nonstick baking sheet, spacing apart. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until cooked through, 15 minutes. Yield: 22 to 24 meatballs.

MINI MEATBALL HEROES

Steps:

• To make the meatballs: Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, veal, and pork. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.
• Heat the oil in heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in 2 to 3 batches, add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Add the Marinara Sauce. Simmer over medium-low until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The meatball mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• To make the sandwiches: Spoon the hot meatballs with some sauce over the bottoms of the rolls. Place 1/2 slice provolone on top of meatballs and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spread more sauce over the roll tops, then fold the tops of the rolls over and serve.
• In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

EASY MEATBALL PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat Broiler.
• Combine meatballs and pizza sauce in a large saucepan.
• Cover and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes or til heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, cut a thin slice from the top of each roll, hollow out roll leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick shell, Discard bread from rolls or save for another use.
• Place hollowed out rolls and roll tops, cut sides up, on baking sheet.
• Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or till lightly toasted.
• Remove roll tops from the baking sheet.
• Spoon meatballs and sauce into toasted rolls.
• Top with cheese.
• Broil about 1 minute more or till cheese is melted.
• To serve, place basil or spinach leaves on top of cheese and replace roll tops.

MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix really well.
• Roll meat into 1" balls- at this point, you can either continue or freeze them for later use, providing your beef wasn't pre-frozen.
• Arrange the meatballs on a rack over a foil-lined pan (for easy clean-up).
• Bake in a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes, or until meatballs are browned- you can also freeze them at this point, or use them in other dishes (or just eat them plain).

MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine beef, bacon, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Shape mixture into 40 meatballs.
• Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or on 2 large plates. Freeze 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag; label and date.
• To use the meatballs straight from the freezer, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.