Southwestern Meatballs
Southwestern Meatballs
Since I love all things spicy, I decided to make Southwestern meatballs. A healthy dose of serrano peppers gives some serious kick. Be careful with them, though — they are typically about five times hotter than jalapeños! I had my balls with some whole-wheat pasta and marinara sauce. Try these for a quick and easy meal or serve these at your next party.
Servings
8
servings
Ingredients
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/4 cup whole-wheat pasta
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 3/4 pound ground sirloin
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.
- Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a small pot, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, chiles, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, and cumin to the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine. (Don't overmix or the meatballs will be tough.) Take the mixture and form into about 32 meatballs.
- Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Cook until seared nicely and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with the pasta and marinara sauce.