I love a meatball! I saw some people on Instagram baking their meatballs and I thought that sounded like a great idea, so I gave it a shot and the result is a winner. Oven Baked Cheesy Chicken Meatballs is just bursting full of flavour, gives the comfort of melted cheese and can be eaten any way you like.
I love the flavour combo in this recipe with the herby sausages, the kick of chilli flakes, the subtle citrusy burst from the lemon zest and the slightly sweetened tomato sauce. Adding crispy melted cheese only improves it, but if you are sensitive to chilli heat or if you’re cooking this for children, then I would say to either reduce or skip the chilli flakes altogether. It will still be delicious and not so kicky.
When choosing your chicken sausages, look for something with a good bit of flavour to it. My favourites are by Daylesford Farm and Heck. If you can’t find chicken sausages at your local grocery store you can use alternatives. Pork sausages like Cumberland or Lincolshire could work here as could turkey sausages. You could even substitute ground chicken or turkey instead, but perhaps add a bit more flavouring and seasoning to it. If you’re using regular minced turkey or chicken meat you might need to also add an egg to the meatball mixture to make it stick together.
The beauty of these meatballs is that they can be served however you like whether if be on pasta, with rice or even on their own with some bread and veggies on the side. However you serve it, Oven Baked Cheesy Chicken Meatballs are a comforting, moreish dish you’ll want to get stuck into. Let’s get started!
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- A knob of butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled & minced
- 1 teaspoon store-bought Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 chicken stock cube or stock pot
- 1 tablespoon white granulated or caster sugar
- 400g passata
- Salt & pepper
- 340g chicken sausages, skins removed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 50g dried white breadcrumbs
- 250g shredded mozzarella cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° Fan / 400°F while you’re getting the meatballs and sauce ready.
- In a casserole with a lid that’s oven-proof and flame-proof, heat the oil and butter together over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about 1 minute before adding the chilli flakes and Italian seasoning. Cook for another 30 seconds and then add the stock cube or stock pot. Stir everything to combine it all as it sizzles away.
- Pour in the passata along with a little water to get the dregs out of the bottle or container and stir in the sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, pop on the lid and leave it to simmer while you make the meatballs, but be sure to give it a little stir every once in a while.
- For the meatballs, add the sausage meat, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix it all together and then roll the meatballs and place them on a plate. I like to roll my meatballs for this dish about the size of a golf ball or maybe a little bit smaller, but you can do whatever you like – just keep in mind that if they’re much bigger they might need more cooking time.
- When all the meatballs have been rolled, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove the casserole dish from the heat and add the meatballs. Gently push them around with a wooden spoon to make sure they’re all coated with some sauce.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese has melted & crisped up.
- Serve with crusty bread, on their own or spooned over pasta or rice.
