Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

These meatball initially caught my eye simply because they were meatballs (and my 4 year old loves meatballs.)  Then my bacon loving eyes nearly popped out of my head when I realized that these meatballs were made with bacon and cheddar.  Sign. Me.Up.

These tasted a lot like a cheeseburger without the bun.  The perfect winter treat (when the grill is buried in a snow bank).   This meat mixture would also be fantastic flattened out and grilled up as sliders…is it summer yet?

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

Adapted from the Nov. 7, 2011 issue of People Magazine

Drizzle of olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

4 oz bacon

1 lb lean ground beef

¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

3 oz cheddar cheese

1 egg

Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick spray.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a small skillet over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions and bacon and sauté until the bacon is crisp and the onions begin to caramelize (10-15 minutes)

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon mixture to a plate lined to paper towels to drain and cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, bacon mixture and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix thoroughly, by hand, until the ingredients are combined.

Form the meat into 15 meatballs (slightly larger than a golf ball).  Place the meatballs about 1 inch apart in the prepared baking dish. 

Bake the meatball for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.  Allow the meatballs to set for 5 minutes before serving.  Serve over mashed potatoes and buttercup squash puree.

Serves 4