Delicious Italian Meatball Sliders

I just came up with this recipe for meatball sliders tonight, and was blown away. Moist, delicious! Goes well with Caesar salad.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 950 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• 4 ounces bulk Italian pork sausage
• 1 small egg
• 1 (24 ounce) jar tomato and basil spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu®)
• 12 (3 ounce) ciabatta buns
• 3 tablespoons garlic butter, or to taste
• ⅓ cup shredded Italian cheese blend, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

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

Step 2

Mix ground beef, pork sausage, bread crumbs, egg, Cajun seasoning, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper, and salt together in a large bowl until well combined. Form mixture into twelve 2-inch meatballs. Form any remaining meat mixture into meatballs or patties, and freeze for another time.

Step 3

Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Place meatballs in the hot oil and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer meatballs to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Drain all but about 1 tablespoon grease from the pan.

Step 4

Add onion to the pan; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, and seasoned salt; bring to a simmer. Return meatballs to the pan and simmer until no longer pink in the centers, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatballs should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 5

Meanwhile, slice ciabatta buns in half and spread butter over the cut sides. Place on a baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until buns are slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn on the broiler. Place 1 meatball on each bottom bun, top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce, and sprinkle with shredded Italian cheese. Sprinkle top buns with more Italian cheese.

Step 7

Broil until cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.