Grilled Meatball Sliders
The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Graham R. and his dog, Carl. For more of their delicious food ventures, visit them on Instagram @cookingwithcarrrl.
School days, school days!
My dad used to sing that to me each morning before school and it drove me nuts. This year, I get to sing it to my daughter and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m also excited to share this super quick and insanely delicious meatball slider recipe! Perfect for those busy school nights where helping kids with homework is the real challenge, your kids will gladly spill the details of their day in exchange for these slammin’ sliders.
Need another excuse to make these? These have tailgating written all over them! Its football time and that means good meals in parking lots. These are ideal for game day, as most of the ingredients are ready-to-cook and others can easily be prepared ahead of time.
This is a great recipe to showcase some of my favorite items from Heinen’s! First is their mozzarella cheese. Cheese always catches my attention, but this deli-style mozzarella melts great in sandwiches and packs the perfect amount of saltiness. Another Heinen’s product we always use is Heinen’s Italian herb pasta sauce. Frankly, we have no say in the matter as it’s the only pasta sauce our four year old will eat. Another great sauce to try is Cleveland’s Own Little Italy, my wife and I enjoy this one when there are no picky eaters around!
Meatballs in your court!
Grilled Meatball Sliders
Servings: 13 (2 per Serving)
Ingredients
- 26 frozen meatballs
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 26 oz. pasta sauce
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 12 slices mozzarella cheese
- 10 Buckeye Fresh basil leaves
- 26 slider rolls
- 1/2 cup butter
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions
- When it comes to the meatballs, the choice is yours! I like the frozen variety from Perfectly Cooked, which is carried at Heinen’s, but Heinen’s also carries meatless and gluten-free options if you prefer.
- Preheat the grill to 350˚F and grab a skillet for cooking the meatballs. Using a skillet helps contain all of the juices, which will add flavor when the pasta sauce comes along later.
- Place the skillet on the grill and add olive oil. Add the meatballs to the skillet and grill for 10 minutes while covered. After 10 minutes, flip the meatballs and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
- Add the pasta sauce and cover the grill for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, add garlic, parsley, melted butter and Italian seasoning. Set aside. You can easily prep this ahead of time and bring it to your final cooking destination.
- Slice the slider buns in half and place them on foil or a grill-safe baking sheet. Sprinkle the bottom buns with parmesan cheese, add a meatball and make sure you’re not stingy with the sauce! Top with mozzarella cheese, half a piece of basil and Italian seasoning. Add the top buns and smother the tops with the butter. Don’t be shy! Use a brush to make sure it gets everywhere.
- Return to the grill for 10 minutes. They are finished when the buns are golden brown and cheese is oozing out, trust me you’ll know!
- Sprinkle with fresh parmesan. Serve with extra sauce and plenty of napkins. Enjoy!
