I’ve had quite a few days of feeling “off”, I’m sure its a matter of frustration with the State of Indiana – after being on unemployment since January, I was “selected” for an audit of my claim, it took a month of non-payment for unemployment audit to finally get settled (I did all I was to do, it just took a month for it to get resolved). Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling overly creative or inspired. I’m still hunting for that position with a school… it’ll happen… this just isn’t the time of the year … yet… schools are starting to post more and more positions, so hopefully SOON this gal will have a position and be feeling better. Ok enough of that… time for that recipe that got a few folks excited GRUYERE MEATBALLS!
I know a lot of folks are opposed to mushrooms because of the texture, the best part about this is the finer you chop them, the better because they just melt into the meat and make a lovely flavor. I paired them with these happy little potato squares that I will also share, they are delightful and light. I make up the potatoes and get prepped before I put the meatballs in the oven.
What you need:
Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef (I prefer low fat content)
3-4 portabella mushrooms (finely chopped to resemble ground beef)
1 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper
6 one inch cubes gruyere cheese
Muffin tin (just my preference to use to make sure they are “serving size”
Tater Squares:
3-4 red potatoes (boiled & mashed)
1 tsp each: garlic powder, salt and pepper
1/4 c corn starch
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
oil/lard for frying
In this recipe, the mushrooms take the place of the breadcrumbs … seriously it works. I’ve done this before with meatloaf as well, delightful. Stays moist and adds that wonderful flavor from the mushrooms without the texture that many find as a turn off. Simple instructions here for the meatballs, mix all ingredients well and then form into balls around cheese. I spray my muffin pan with avocado oil spray – just to make sure they don’t stick. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
For the potatoes- again pretty simple. After mashing potatoes, add seasonings (I’ve used all kinds, dill, oregano, parsley, etc. the choices are endless). Let cool in refrigerator while you grate cheese. I usually give it a good 30 minutes so its easier to handle. Great use for leftover potatoes too! Once you have the cheese mix that and the corn starch into the potatoes. You should get a heavy-ish dough, this you can then roll out flat onto parchment paper or waxed paper, use a pastry cutter or pizza cutter to make squares. Put in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Then just fry them up. They don’t take long and are crunchy on the outside and the inside just melts in your mouth. I “over” cooked some and they stayed crunchy in the refrigerator overnight! Almost like chips! So that will be another experiment for later.
I will be posting my Stir-Fry Eggroll recipe soon. Until then… Enjoy and please share if you have tried any of my recipes! I’d love the feedback!