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Four Ground beef Polpettone sitting in tomato sauce in a skillet with mozzarella cheese oozing out of a couple of them.
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5 from 1 vote

Polpettone ~ Cheese Stuffed Meatballs!

Polpettone are delicious ground beef meatball patties that are stuffed with cheese and then breaded. They are stuffed with mozzarella giving you that ooey gooey cheese pull for each bite that you take. These are then lightly breaded and baked or fried for a crispy and salty exterior. Finally, they are served with tomato sauce. So good!!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Brazilian, Italian
Keyword baked beef patties, ground beef, polpettone, stuffed meatballs
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

Polpettone

  • 2 pounds Ground beef 90% lean
  • 1 Onion small
  • 4 Garlic cloves
  • 1 cup Breadcrumbs (I used plain, fine breadcrumbs. Panko works too)
  • ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Eggs large
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 slices of mozzarella cheese

Breading and Sauce

  • 1 cup Breadcrumbs (I used panko for the outside, but you can use fine)
  • 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil Spray
  • 32 ounces Marinara Tomato Sauce

Instructions

  • Finely dice the onions. Mince the garlic.
  • For the cheese, take 2 slices at a time and then quarter them and stack the quarter slices. You will have 6 stacks of 8 slices that will be used to fill the meatballs/patties.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, onion, garlic, 1 cup breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix to completely combine all of the ingredients.
  • Divide the mixture in half in the bowl and then divide each half into thirds, so that you can make sure to get 3 patties from each half, for a total of 6. Take one of the 6 sections of beef and form it into a 1-in thick patty. Place one of the 6 stacks of mozzarella cheese in the center of the patty and them using your fingers, gently fold the sides of the patty up around the cheese so you can no longer see any of the cheese. Place the meatball on a baking sheet and gently press to flatten it slightly. Then do the same for the other 5 patties.
  • In a medium bowl, add the 2 cups of breadcrumbs, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Mix to combine. For each of the patties, gently press them in the breadcrumbs to coat them with a light layer of breading. The meat should be wet enough so that the breadcrumbs stick. But if not, you can beat an egg and first dip the patties into the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Place back on the sheet pan.
  • Spray the tops of the Polpettone with olive oil. Then gently flip them over and spray the other side.
  • Bake in a 400 F degree oven for 40 minutes until golden brown.
  • Wile the Polpettone are baking, warm up the marinara sauce. I like to serve the Polpettone on top of the sauce, so the tops stay crispy and crunchy and each bite can be dipped into the sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Can I use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef?
    For this Polpettone recipe, you can really use any ground meat poultry that you prefer. I used 90% extra lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey. For ground poultry, you may need a bit more breadcrumbs to help it bind together for a firmer texture. I would add another ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and if it still feels too wet, add another ¼ cup. Everything else will be the same.
  2. Can I freeze these Polpettone?
    Yes, you can absolutely freeze polpettone before cooking them. Make the polpettone according to the recipe instructions. Before cooking them, place them on parchment paper or plastic wrap or aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan with all 6 (or less if you are cooking some now) in the freezer to flash freeze them. It will take 4-6 hours for the polpettone to freeze. Once frozen, move them to an airtight container. They will last in the freezer for up to 9 months. You can place them directly on a sheet pan into the oven at 400 F degrees for 50-600 minutes until cooked through.
  3. How can I make these Polpettone Gluten Free?
    To make this Polpettone recipe gluten free, there are a few things to swap. First, you will want to replace the breadcrumbs in the ground meet. You can either use gluten free breadcrumbs or replace the breadcrumbs with more parmesan cheese! For the breadcrumbs on the outside, you can leave them off all together or again substitute gluten free breadcrumbs.
  4. Can I fry these Polpettone in a skillet?
    If you want to first get a golden crust by frying the Polpettone in a little bit of vegetable oil in a skillet and then finish them in the oven. Preheat a ¼ inch of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the breaded polpettone and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side to get get a golden brown crust. Then transfer them to a sheet pan and finish in the 400 F degree oven for 30 minutes.