When Amy posted a photo of these Asian Pork Meatballs with Sesame Noodles on Instagram I couldn't wait to make them. I didn't even know what was in them yet, but I knew from the photo that they'd be right up our alley.



The original recipe calls for rice noodles, but we've tried them in the past and didn't care for the texture so I went with plain ol' spaghetti. I buy Dreamfields brand since it makes me feel better about eating pasta (and no, I'm not being paid to say that. However, if Dreamfields ever wanted to work with me I'd be thrilled. I love their products).

Anyway, I was worried there wouldn't be enough sauce so I doubled the recipe (hence why my pasta looks so dark in the photo above). This was absolutely unnecessary so don't do it! It overwhelmed the final dish. We still enjoyed the flavors, so I'm anxious to try this again with the proper amount of sauce.



I served the meatballs with soy-roasted broccoli and carrots, a simple Asian side dish that I just realized I've never blogged. Oops! I'll have to fix that soon. This is such a fun twist on the Asian flavors you typically see in stir fry dishes.

Asian Pork Meatballs with Sesame Noodles
Slightly modified from BellyFull

For the Meatballs:
1 1/4 pounds lean ground pork
1/4 cup Panko
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce

For the Noodles
1 package (16 ounce) stir-fry rice noodles (I used 13.25oz spaghetti)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
4 scallions, minced (plus more for garnish)
Sesame seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the pork, Panko, egg, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, and a few grinds of salt and pepper, until just combined. Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, form 35 meatballs. Brush each one with a little Hoisin sauce. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinsing the noodles under cool water, then drain again. Set aside.

While the pasta and meatballs are cooking, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Return the noodles to the pot and pour the sauce mixture over the top. Toss to coat. Serve a pile of noodles topped with some of the meatballs. Garnish with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

I've become obsessed with meatballs.



My friend, Jaida, posted this recipe for Lemon Parsley Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Coconut Curry Sauce and Lemon-Coconut Rice (sorry, Jaida, I had to shorten the name) last month and I couldn't wait to make them. She came up with this one all on her own, which is pretty amazing if you ask me.

We're also obsessed with coconut rice in this house and these delicious, light meatballs in a drinkably good curry sauce were the perfect thing to serve on top. I decided to make a few changes to Jaida's original recipe to suit our tastes and it did not disappoint. I'm already plotting when I can make it again.

Lemon Parsley Turkey Meatballs in Curry Sauce over Coconut Rice
Slightly modified from Sweet Beginnings

Lemon-Parsley Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
Zest and juice of 2 medium-large lemons
1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil

Coconut Rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup long-grain rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

Curry Sauce
1 can, plus what's left in the can used for the rice, coconut milk
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil. Gently mix with your hands until well combined. Take about 2 tablespoons of the meat at a time and form into balls. Place each meatball on a plate and repeat with all the meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, add the meatballs so that they are not touching. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until all sides are browned. Reduce the heat to medium.

While the meatballs are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add the rice and stir to coat each grain evenly. Toast the rice for a few minutes, until you start to see brown spots. Add the coconut milk and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit while you finish the meatballs and sauce.

Put all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, while the meatballs cook. Once the meatballs have been browned, carefully pour the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

Serve the meatballs and sauce over the rice.

You know a recipe is good when it pushes you out of your blogging slump. These Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs did just that. I couldn't wait to share them with you guys and I managed to schedule a few more posts while I was at it.


I saw these meatballs on my friend Jaida's blog and she raved about them, so I figured I'd give them a shot. I've been in a cooking rut lately, remaking a lot of old favorites rather than trying new stuff. We've been on a fresh mozzarella kick lately and I knew you couldn't go wrong stuffing it into a meatball. This was an incredibly easy meal to make, perfect for a weeknight. It took less than 10 minutes to make the meatballs and, bonus, I had frozen sauce in the freezer. It took longer to chop the ingredients for the salad I served on the side.


What I didn't expect was for these to be the most flavorful meatballs I've ever made. We were all blown away. Baby Girl said, "these aren't just good, Mommy. They're amazing, awesome and wonderful." It's been awhile since I've photographed dinner outside, so Baby Girl jumped at the chance to have her plate next to mine for a picture.


Despite the fact that I thought I'd sealed the meatballs well, most of mine broke open while they cooked. Fortunately, the cheese didn't really melt or leak out. Just make sure you really, really seal them well. I had 14 mozzarella balls, but you may want to stick with the 10-12 in the recipe below so there's more meat to fully encase the cheese.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
As seen on Sweet Beginnings

1 egg
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb lean ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10-12 mini balls fresh mozzarella (bocconcini), or fresh mozzarella cut in small pieces
3 cups pasta sauce

Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, ground beef, chili powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and garlic and mix with your hands until combined.

Divide the meat into 10-12 balls (a couple of tablespoons each). Flatten each section of meat, then wrap it around one mozzarella ball. Squish the edges together to be sure it's sealed. Repeat this process until you've used up all the meat.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat (no need to add oil, there's plenty of fat in the meat). Add the meatballs and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until well-browned.

Add the pasta sauce (enough to coat the bottom and come up about halfway up the meatballs) to the skillet. Simmer for about five minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally to coat them in the sauce.

Serve the meatballs over pasta or rice, as a sandwich, or by themselves.