Halloween Meatballs
These Halloween meatballs are baked and topped with mozzarella and black olives to look like spooky eyeballs. Serve them over spaghetti and tomato sauce for a fun Halloween dinner.
Servings 4
Calories 539kcal
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Other:
- small jar of black olives
- small package mini mozzarella balls see notes
- 4 ounces spaghetti
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and lightly grease a baking sheet large enough to fit 24 1-inch meatballs.
- Use clean, dry hands to gently combine all the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well incorporated. Be careful not to overwork the mixture, which can make the meatballs dense.1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 3 cloves garlic, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Shape the mixture into 24 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 14-17 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F (71 °C).
- While the meatballs are baking, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, but don't rinse it.
- Cut the mozzarella balls in half lengthwise and place them on paper towels. Pat them dry well. Cut the olives, trimming away the top and bottom and using the middle portions so they'll lie flat. Place them on paper towels and pat dry.
- When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven and place a mozzarella half in the center of each meatball. Return them to the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted slightly to create the whites of the eyes.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven and place a piece of olive in the center of each mozzarella eyeball.
- Add the tomato sauce to the now-empty pasta pot and heat over medium-high heat until hot and steamy. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. If the sauce isn't too thin, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons. This helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Add the pasta to the pot and stir until well combined.
- Serve the pasta with the meatballs and top with basil, oregano or parsley.
- Then put this in the Notes/storage area, rather than making it an instruction:
- Cool leftovers and refrigerate in an airtight container, preferably glass so the tomato sauce doesn't stain it, for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If you're gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and pasta.
- For the mozzarella balls, I used ciligene, which are 1/3 oz (9 grams but anything around 8-14 grams works - or even a little bigger or smaller - you’d just need to adjust the meatball size).
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Nutrition
Calories: 539kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 4mg