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Baked pork, apple & cheddar meatballs

Baked pork, apple & cheddar meatballs in a serving pan

Baked pork, apple & cheddar meatballs

Name: Baked pork, apple & cheddar meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 75g dried breadcrumbs; 2 tbsp milk; 3 eating apples grated; 125g extra mature cheddar; 500g pork mince; 2 tsp dried mixed herbs; 1 tsp garlic granules; 1 tsp onion granules; 1 egg beaten; crusty bread and salad, to serve; 1 tbsp olive oil; 25g unsalted butter; 3 large garlic cloves crushed; ½ -1 tsp chilli flakes (optional); 680g passata; small handful of basil roughly chopped; 1 tsp caster sugar

Ailsa Burt

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 1 hr

A star rating of 5 out of 5.9 ratingsRate

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Relax and enjoy some time in the kitchen cooking these meatballs for friends or family. Ideal for the weekend, serve with plenty of crusty bread and salad

Freezable

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

75g dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsp milk
3 eating apples

grated
125g extra mature cheddar
500g pork mince
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion granules
1 egg

beaten
crusty bread

and salad, to serve

For the sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
25g unsalted butter
3 large garlic cloves

crushed
½ -1 tsp chilli flakes

(optional)
680g passata
small handful of basil

roughly chopped
1 tsp caster sugar

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Nutrition: Per serving (8)

kcal702
fat36g
saturates15g
carbs41g
sugars13g
fibre4g
protein50g
salt0.5g

Method

step 1

Tip the breadcrumbs, milk and apples into a bowl and set aside for 5 mins. Meanwhile, cut about 100g of the cheese into 20 small cubes. Coarsely grate the rest. Tip the mince, herbs, garlic and onion granules and the beaten egg into the breadcrumb mixture. Season well and mix together using your hands. Form into 20 balls, weighing 40-45g each, then flatten. Press a cube of cheese into the centre of each one and roll into a ball again to enclose the cheese. Will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs, or frozen for up to three months. To freeze, arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, freeze until solid, then tip into a freezer bag.
step 2

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof frying pan over a low heat and cook the garlic and chilli for 2 mins. Pour in the passata, then swill out the jar with a little water and add that too. Stir in the basil and sugar. Season and bring to a simmer. Nestle the meatballs in the sauce and bake for 25-30 mins until just cooked through. Sprinkle over the grated cheese. Reduce the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 15-20 mins more until the cheese has melted. Serve with plenty of crusty bread and salad.

Recipe tip

If you're out of milk, use water to soak the breadcrumbs for the meatballs.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2023

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A star rating of 5 out of 5.9 ratings

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