Week 51: Oven-baked Meatballs

The Recipe
500g lean minced beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
75g firm cheese
500g cherry tomatoes
2 bell peppers
1 garlic

Mix the beef with salt and paprika. Cut the cheese into 12 pieces. Divide the meat into 12 pieces and roll them to balls around the cheese. Put in an oven-proof dish and baste them with olive oil.
Cut the bell pepper into 2x2cm squares and put them and the tomatoes into the dish with the meatballs. Split the garlic into cloves, but leave the skin on. Add the garlic to the dish. Pour a bit of olive oil over (basil if you have it) and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 225C for 30 minutes. Serve with pasta.

The Verdict
Really, really good! I think I used too soft cheese, so most of it melted out through the meatballs - I'll go for some firmer (and more expensive) next time. The meat probably wasn't quite lean enough, but the excess fat from it, mixed together with the melted cheese and some of the liquids released from the tomatoes and bell pepper made for a really good sauce.