Turn leftover meatballs into a game-day snack

By Jim Bailey
theyankeechef.blogspot.com

H

ave any meatballs left over from last week? Here is the perfect vehicle. Actually more than a bite, these Yankee cornbread-‘plated’ meatballs are perfect for elegant dining as well as finger food for that great game.

Use your favorite cheese in lieu of cheddar if desired. A heavily smoked cheddar would be great as well. But then again, us New Englanders are quite partial to any form of cheddar.

Cornbread and cheese highlight leftover meatballs.

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup milk
10 prepared meatballs, cold
1 cup spaghetti or marinara sauce
Dried oregano
5 slices smoked or extra sharp cheddar cheese slices, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan with nonstick cooking spray: set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, cayenne and salt. Stir in melted butter, eggs and milk until well incorporated. It will be thick.

Scoop 2 tablespoon measures of cornbread mixture onto prepared pan, leaving 2 inches between mounds. Place one meatball in the center of each mound and bake 10-12 minutes, or when cornbread is firm to the touch. Carefully pull out oven rack, ladle a tablespoon and a half of the marinara sauce over each meatball, a sprinkling of oregano and a half slice of cheese. Return to the oven for cheese to melt, an additional 2 minutes. Remove and serve hot.

Schiffer Books of Pennsylvania has released Jim Bailey’s new book The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen. It contains more than 550 traditional New England comfort-food recipes tweaked for today’s palates with hundreds of kitchen tips and food facts. The hardback book is 312 pages and contains 200 color images. Its ISBN is 978-0-7643-4191-5 and the cost is $34.99. The book can be ordered through Misty Valley Books, 802-875-3400.