Make juicy homemade pork meatballs stuffed with panko and cream cheese and simmered in savory marinara sauce. They're perfect served over spaghetti!
Servings : 16meatballs
Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Cook Time 15 minutesmins
Total Time 30 minutesmins
Ingredients
1poundground pork,you can also use Italian pork sausage removed from casings
½cupwhipped cream cheese
3clovesgarlic,minced
2tablespoonsminced onion
1large egg
½cupplain panko crumbs
1½teaspoonsdried oregano
salt and fresh ground black pepper,to taste
3tablespoonsolive oil
1cupmarinara sauce
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, cream cheese, garlic, onion, egg, panko crumbs, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined, and roll the mixture into 2-tablespoon balls. Grease your hands with a bit of olive oil to prevent the mixture from sticking.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the meatballs are browned on all sides.
Add the marinara sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the skillet; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Remove from heat and serve the meatballs with pasta.
Cream Cheese: Whipped Cream Cheese is creamier and works well in this recipe. If you want to use regular cream cheese, bring it up to room temperature before working with it.
Protein Swap: Opt for ground beef, turkey, or chicken, or mix meats as an alternative to pork.
Get Hands-On: Mix meatball ingredients by hand to avoid over-mixing and tough meatballs. Gloves can keep things tidy.
Brown First: Essential for sealing in moisture and flavor and ensuring meatballs hold together in the sauce.
Avoid Overcooking: Keep meatballs juicy by checking for doneness while simmering in the sauce.
Stay Warm: For make-ahead, use a slow cooker’s keep-warm setting to maintain meatball temperature and flavor.
Sauce Variety: Experiment with other sauces for a tasty twist.
Storage: Keep leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.