The Foodie Files

I've got all kinds of beef with both teams in this year's Superbowl, so deciding on who to root for has created a bit of a dilemma for me.  If there was a scenario in which both teams could loose, that would be ideal (sorry, Uncle Danny).  Regardless of my feelings on the teams playing, it's still the SuperBowl for heavens sake and to not watch it would seem like a crime.  I was working on a SuperBowl party menu this afternoon and came up with these incredibly fun meatball subs made to look like little footballs.  They're easy to make, quite delicious, and a great first step towards soothing my SuperBowl woes (if medicating with food is wrong, I don't wanna be right).  Give 'em a try this weekend!

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef (90/10 is ideal)

1/2 cup strong grated cheese (I'd suggest Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 tsp pesto

5 chopped basil leaves
1 jar tomato sauce (In the interest of time, I used Trader Joe's three cheese tomato sauce rather than make sauce from scratch.  At one point or another, we'll go over that, however.)
salt and pepper

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

12 sweet multi-grain rolls
Buffalo mozzarella cheese

Combine ground beef, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, pesto and basil then season lightly with salt and pepper.  Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed but be careful not to over handle the beef as it will change the texture of the meatballs.  

Since I chose smaller rolls, I decided to decrease the size of the meatballs as well.  I formed the meat into balls about an inch in diameter, making sure to pack the meat enough to get rid of all air pockets.

 Brown garlic in your extra virgin olive oil, then saute meatballs until brown...it should take about ten minutes.

After the meatballs are completely brown, add sauce to the pot.

Slice rolls in half, then broil on high for 1 minute.  Remove bottom halves, then add 1/2 inch slices of Buffalo mozzarella to remaining top halves.  Broil for one additional minute, then remove.  Assemble sandwiches and enjoy!

Is it just me or do they look like little footballs!?  I love it!