Meatball-Stuffed Garlic Bread Sliders – A Hole Lot of Awesome

I’ve wanted to do a video for baked cheeseburger sliders for a while now, but I’ve also been craving a meatball sub, so long story short, this is what I ended up with, and they were amazing. Above and beyond some decent ingredients, the real secret to these beauties is placing the meatball in through the top of the roll, versus splitting and stuffing in the traditional manner.

I can’t explain exactly why, but there’s something very special about these, and they really were a lot of fun to eat. Maybe it ‘s the symmetry, or center of gravity, but they just feel right in your hand. I’m not sure who invented this technique, but I first saw it on a blog called, Cooking for Keeps, so they get the credit for now.

Like I mention in the video, this easy procedure would lend itself to all kinds of variations, and I expect to see some great ones shared on social media soon. We’re getting close to the Super Bowl, and like I said before, it’s not about who wins the trophy, but rather who wins the snack table, and if you show up with these, that will be you. So, I really do hope you give these meatballs-stuffed garlic bread sliders a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 18 Meatball-Stuffed Garlic Bread Sliders:

18 dinner rolls (I used Hawaiian rolls, but will try regular less-sweet ones next time)

3 tablespoons butter infused with 3 or 4 cloves of crushed or minced garlic

1 pound grass-fed beef

1 diced yellow onion and a few cloves of garlic sautéed until soft in olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

1 large egg

1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 cup grated fontina cheese, divided (big handful in the meatball mix, and the rest on top)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste

2 cups prepared tomato sauce

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the top

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