BBQ Meatballs with Pepper and Cheese Animal Cut-Outs

A whimsical after school snack which is sure to please hungry kids. Serve with extra BBQ sauce and a cold glass of milk.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 413 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 red bell pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 orange bell pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
• 2 slices bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup grated sweet onion
• 1 cup barbecue sauce, plus additional for serving
• 4 (1/4-inch) slices Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 (1/4-inch) slices mild Cheddar cheese
• Animal vegetable cutters
• 25 4-inch toothpicks

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Soak pieces of torn bread in the milk in a bowl for 5 minutes. Gently squeeze out milk. Add beaten egg to the soaked bread and mix well.

Step 3

Mix garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, Italian herb seasoning, sugar, and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. Add to bread-egg mixture.

Step 4

Place ground beef in a mixing bowl. Add seasoning mixture and onions; mix together with a fork. If mixture is too dry, add up to a tablespoon of milk. Roll into 25 meatballs and arrange on rimmed baking sheet.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven until browned and cooked through, about 18 minutes.

Step 6

Drain meatballs on a paper towel. Remove grease from the baking sheet. Transfer meatballs back to the baking sheet. Drizzle 1 cup BBQ sauce over meatballs.

Step 7

Return sheet to oven and bake 12 more minutes.

Step 8

Use a small animal vegetable cutter to make animals out of green, orange, and red peppers. Cut animals out of Colby Jack and mild Cheddar cheese.

Step 9

Drain meatballs on a paper towel and add more BBQ sauce if desired. Add cheese animal cut-out and then animal pepper cut-out to the toothpicks. Work quickly to add toothpick to each meatball.