Meatball Sliders

Here's what you'll need. I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's worth it.

I'm going to start with my quickie sauce because that simmers for awhile

Add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the garlic and onion

Add a can of tomato sauce

And a couple spoonfuls of tomato paste. This will help thicken the sauce

Season with salt and pepper

Then in goes the dried parsley and basil.

While the sauce simmers, start your meatballs

Garlic goes in every step of this recipe

And then the cheese

Season with salt and pepper too

In goes the chopped fresh basil from the garden.

Use your hands to combine all the ingredients. Don't overwork it! Form into a ball & press a mozzarella cube in the center

Re-form the meat mixture so that it completely covers the cheese

In a pan brown the meatballs in a little bit of oil. Don't move the meat too soon or it will fall apart

These are browning nicely

Ok now for the pesto...my favorite part!

Throw everything in a food processor and slowly add the olive oil while its pulsing. Pesto is done!

Let the meatballs finish cooking in the sauce. A couple of these are a bit well done. Oh well!

Cut the rolls in half then butter the insides and outsides. Pop them in the oven for about 4 minutes just to lightly crisp them

Now it's time to assemble. Place a meatball and sauce on the roll and top with a slice of cheese

Put them back in the oven for a couple more minutes, we sprinkled cheese on top bun too

Last step: Add a bit of the pesto! The perfect touch!

These sliders were so tasty!

Look at the cheesy center!

Yield: 10-12 Sliders

Ingredients

For the Quickie Sauce:
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground beef
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
½ onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (as many cubes as meatballs you’re making)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Pesto:
4 cups fresh basil
¼ cup pine nuts
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil (more or less depending on thickness)
1-2 tablespoons water, if pesto needs thinning

For Assembling:
10-12 soft dinner rolls
3 tablespoons butter, softened
10-12 slices provolone cheese
grated parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top of the rolls

Directions:
Start by making the quickie sauce. In a large  sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and  sauté until they’re fragrant and the onion just starts to become translucent. Pour in the can of tomato sauce and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper then add the dried parsley and basil. Continue simmering the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally.

To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef, egg, green pepper, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, fresh basil and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine all the ingredients being careful to not overwork the meat. Form the meat into balls, about 3 tablespoons of meat in each ball. Press a small cube of mozzarella into the center of the meatball  and form the meat back around the cheese making sure the meat completely covers the cheese.

In another large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Place the meatballs in the pan and allow them to brown slightly before trying to flip them over. Cook for about 3 minutes per side. They don’t need to cook all the way through because they will finish cooking in the tomato sauce. Add them to the sauce and continue cooking on low heat for about 20 minutes.

To make the pesto, add fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and salt and pepper to a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing. You can add a tablespoon or 2 of water if you want to thin out the pesto.

Cut the dinner rolls in half lengthwise and butter the inside and outside of the roll. Place the rolls in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Cook for about 4 minutes. Take the rolls out of the oven and place a meatball onto the bottom half of the roll. Top the meatball with a spoonful of sauce and a slice of provolone cheese. Lightly sprinkle the top half of the roll with a parmesan cheese to form a cheesy crust. Put back in the oven for about 4 minutes keeping the tops of the buns separate from the bottoms. Once the sliders are out of the oven top with a spoonful of pesto, place the top on the roll and serve.

Source: a livelovepasta original