Supreme Pizza Meatballs

My meatball streak continues with yet another delicious meatball recipe to share on here. These Supreme Pizza Meatballs are the answer to our pizza nights at home during this quarantine…without the hassle of making homemade dough. Who has the time? But better yet, who has the yeast?! This is pizza with a fun twist that I’m sure everyone will love. I never order (or make) supreme pizzas typically because the veggies are always placed raw on top of the pie and then they produce too much moisture and you end up with soggy pizza with even soggier vegetables. This recipe however, solves that problem by sautéing the vegetables first until golden brown and then adding the sauce. It might seem like an extra step, but it’s well worth it. If you serve this with crusty toasted bread slices, it’ll be just like you’re having pizza, but you’re not. You’re having pizza meatballs and I think it’s the next best thing.

Let’s get started with the meatballs, which are fairly straight forward and pretty easy to put together! In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and red pepper (if using) until well combined.

**Tip: I’m using a mix of ground beef and ground Italian sausage because I like the flavor that the sausage imparts, which is what helps really hone in on that supreme pizza flavor, but if all you have is ground beef or you just want to make it with either ground chicken, turkey or pork, that all works here!**

Roll about 2 tablespoons or so of the mixture in between your palms and place a baking sheet or platter. Continue rolling and shaping the remaining mixture until all the meatballs are done.

Heat a very large oven-safe skillet, over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and place in half of the meatballs. Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and continue browning the second batch.

**Note: We’re not looking to cook the meatballs all the way through at this point, just looking to develop color and flavor at this stage, so don’t worry about the pinkness on the sides.**

Stir in the onion, garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms into the same skillet, picking up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Once the veggies have started to brown, season with a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if you like a bit of a kick).

**Note: I always associate supreme pizza with red onion instead of white or brown, but I didn’t have any red on hand so I used brown. If you have red, or are going to the store already, I’d prefer for you to use that instead!**

While the veggies cook, let’s make the super easy pizza sauce. There’s no cooking involved. Just combine canned whole tomatoes (with their juice), tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil, parsley, basil, salt, pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. That’s it.

**Tip: If you don’t want to pick up these ingredients or don’t want to deal with this step, you can totally use store-bought pizza sauce (two 14-ounce jars) or a large jar or marinara sauce for this instead!**

Pour the sauce into the skillet with the veggies and add in the black olives, giving it all a stir until combined. Nestle in the meatballs in a single layer, lower the heat and bring to a simmer.

Cover the top with pepperoni slices and then sprinkle with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese. Transfer to a preheated 375°F oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 18 to 20 minutes.

**Tip: At this stage you can allow it to cool completely, then sprinkle with pepperoni and cheese and chill for later. Then just bake as directed. That’s if you want to make this ahead of time!**

I like to serve this with toasted baguette slices for dunking into the sauce and to really bring out that pizza flavor, since we don’t have pizza crust involved. The bread with bring some of that chewy bread texture we need. I didn’t write a recipe for the bread below, but just slice a baguette into 1-inch slices and lay out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and place under the broiler until golden brown (keep a close eye so that they don’t burn). Flip over and toast the second side as well. Then just sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt once they’ve browned. 

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, before garnishing the top with a few torn fresh basil leaves. 

If you don’t have a large, oven-safe, skillet like this (this one I use all the time and I actually got it on Amazon for super cheap compared to the name brand kind. I highly recommend) you can make everything in a regular skillet, and then transfer to a large casserole dish and continue with the recipe as directed!

This recipe is a great appetizer if you’re having a party, which we can’t have at the moment, so you can keep it in mind for when this madness is all over. It’s a great dinner recipe as well. Serve with a salad and that crusty bread and you’ll be good to go! It would also be delicious spooned over polenta. 

The next time you’re craving pizza but don’t want to go through all of the hassle of making homemade dough or if delivery isn’t an option for you at the moment, these pizza meatballs are the way to go! I guarantee that the entire family will love them, and leftovers just get better and better. Feel free to drop any substitution questions down below. Stay safe and stay home, my friends!

Supreme Pizza Meatballs

Supreme Pizza Meatballs are a great way to have homemade pizza night at home, but with a fun twist. It's all the best flavors of pizza without all the work.

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 pound lean ground beef 85% is good
• 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs plain, Italian or Panko
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow or red onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium green bell pepper diced
• 1 pint crimini or button mushrooms sliced
• 1 2.25 can sliced black olives, drained
• 6 ounces pepperoni slices
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil for garnish
• Toasted baguette slices for serving

Sauce:

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (with their juice)
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
• 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and red pepper (if using) until well combined. Roll about 2 tablespoons or so of the mixture in between your palms and place a baking sheet or platter. Continue rolling and shaping the remaining mixture until all the meatballs are done.
• Heat a very large oven-safe skillet, over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and place in half of the meatballs. Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. We're not looking to cook the meatballs all the way at this point, just develop color and flavor. Transfer to a plate and continue browning the second batch.
• Stir in the onion, garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms into the same skillet, picking up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Once the veggies have started to brown, season with a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if you like a bit of a kick).
• Meanwhile, to make the pizza sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
• Pour the sauce into the skillet with the veggies and add in the black olives, giving it all a stir until combined. Nestle in the meatballs in a single layer, lower the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover the top with pepperoni slices and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 18 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil before serving. Serve with crusty bread slices. Enjoy!

Author: The Candid Appetite