Before I dive in, let me preface this by saying that you don’t have to use frozen meatballs for this, and you sure as shit don’t have to use meatless meatballs. I just have to watch my meat intake for health purposes, so here we are.
THAT SAID. I’m not kidding when I say I’m a BIG fan of these meatless “meats” from Gardein, and I get them from FreshDirect Express which has been amazing lately (same day delivery, usually within a few hours of ordering)! I love their 7-grain “chicken” tenders, these meatballs, and the Mandarin “Chicken” too. All so good, definitely give them a shot if you’re exploring the vegan/vegetarian alternatives. They’re also gluten free!
Anyhow. I have been making lots of little snack foods lately, and these popped into my head and then directly into my mouth. So easy, especially if you can snag some of these premade frozen phyllo shells. Just thaw them out, fill with your favorite filling, and bake. I’ve made little tiny versions of my spanakopita before using them – check that recipe out here. SO YUM.
I used my own pomodoro sauce here because I think it’s delicious (humblebrag), and you can find that recipe here if you want. But if you have your own or a jar sauce you prefer, go nuts. Clearly this isn’t a “make everything from scratch” kinda deal. This is a “people are coming over and I need to throw something together quick that looks impressive” kinda thing.
One last note that’s important: you do NOT need a lot of meatballs and sauce to make this happen. The phyllo shells are pretty small and the package only has 15 shells, so 4-5 meatballs should work. This is honestly a great way to use leftovers, and you can double it easily if you buy two packages of phyllo shells!
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MEATBALL PARM PHYLLO CUPS
2 cups pomodoro sauce (or your fave jarred sauce)
4-5 Gardein frozen meatballs (or regular meatballs)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Finely grated parmesan cheese to taste
Frozen Phyllo Shells
Chives or parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375. Take frozen phyllo shells out of the freezer to thaw (it doesn’t take long, maybe 30 mins). While they’re defrosting, heat pomodoro sauce over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the frozen meatballs and stir into the sauce – let them cook for 15-20 minutes until heated through. If you’re using fresh meatballs, just heat until warm!
- Take the meatballs out of the pan and add to a medium sized bowl. Mash up with a fork and add a bit of extra pomodoro sauce if it’s too dry. Add the mozzarella and mix in. Set aside.
- Take phyllo shells out of the package and place on a tin foil-lined baking sheet (you don’t have to line with tin foil but I prefer doing that for easy cleanup). Fill each phyllo shell with the meatball filling, top with a little more pomodoro sauce and parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 minutes and that’s it! Garnish with chopped chives or parsley and BOOM. Easy appetizer 🙂
Thanks to FreshDirect Express for the ingredients! #fdambassador
