Jalapeno/cheddar stuffed meatballs

There was a time when you could not pay me to eat anything spicy. Then I moved to Oklahoma. It must be an aquired taste, because now foods are not spicy enough...lol. The important thing with hot peppers is not to drink a water-based beverage afterwards. The heat is oil based, so the soda/beer/water/tea beverage spreads it. To cool it, sour cream works best...that's why so many spicy foods are served with it.

good tip for cooling down the mouth Cat

I was afraid that by mixing the cheese into the meat, that it would run out while the meatballs are cooking. I tried that once with hamburgers that we cooked on the grill. It ended up being one of those great ideas that didn't work, as the cheese melted and the burgers fell apart and through the grates. I might try it again but cook them on a flat surface. Have you made meatballs with cheese mixed in? Did it work?

Yes, I was kind of worried that the cheddar would separate. Then I though of half cheddar, half Velveeta because the Velveeta melts easily and rehardens well. I love your idea of the taco seasoning! i wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks!

When I was mixing the beef for the meatballs, I went to grab some taco seasoning, only to find that I didn't have any. Instead I added cumin and smoked paprika. They came out terrific! Next time I think I would serve them on top of polenta.

I think i'm going to give it a try tonight. Will let you know if it works. If it does, my husband would probably want more for the Superbowl game...lol.

Oooh, I just had a thought.. I will also try to add cheddar and jalenpeno to my mashed potatoes and potatoe pancakes as well. Yum!!

ow...that does sound good! I'm glad I started this discussion because I'm getting a lot of great ideas! Thanks for sharing!

Hi there,

Well if nothing else, it sure sounds good! I definitely think this is how I'll making my next batch of meatballs! See what she created, there is going to be a sudden shortage of jalapeno peppers in cheese. No one, will be able to figure out just how the mess stampede began... And what caused a mad dash for jalapeno peppers.... It simply has everyone baffled!

Who would have thought mass hysteria over a jalapeno pepper! Just kidding but it sure does sound good and I also liked the idea of adding it to mash potatoes. I used to make mashed potatoes. No more food for me tonight though, I made a chicken and vegetable stir fry.

Happy Mylotting or eating!

I think I better stock up on jalapenos! I wonder if there's a shortage and the price goes up, if they could be sold on ebay for a profit...lol. They came out great, but next time I think I'm going to try the cheese filled jalapenos wrapped in the hamburg mixture. Did you added some to your stir-fry?

Of course the price will go up, it's the old law of supply and demand! Stock up now and then turn em over for a profit later? Who would've thought there was money in jalapenos?

They sure are one of lifes underrated pleasures! I'm thinking of growing some in my garden this year. Here in Oklahoma you'd laugh looking at the produce aisles in some of the grocery stores. They'll have only one or two varieties of apples, tomatoes, onions, etc. And a dozen varieties of peppers, all begging to be tried.

Now there's an idea I hadn't thought of! You guys are all so creative! I used the melted cheese and chopped jalapenos, but then I had to mold it and cut it into the correct sized pieces. It came out really good. Your idea skips that whole melting process and I like the idea of using fresh jalapenos. I think next time I'll try it your way. Good Superbowl dish!

So you cooked 'em up already? Sounds wonderful! Were they just as good as we all thought?

They were excellent! The family started asking when I would make them again even before the dishes were washed. I made enough of the cheese/jalapeno filling to make another batch, so I'll probably make them again for the Superbowl game. Then I'm going to try some of the other excellent ideas that others had here. Wouldn't it be great for all of us to make our version then get together for a tasting? Would give all new meaning to having a ball...lol.

Great suggestion I expect the meat being next to the jalapeno was even better, then having the cheese in the centre... nice

I used half velveeta and half of an artisan mexican blend. The velveeta of course melted first, and I only stirred it enough to blend in the mexican blend and jalapenos. I came out great, but I like your idea too, about filling the dent made in the meat. Next time I think I'm going to add somechopped pappers to the meat mixture for a little more heat. I also love the idea of the rice flour...would they be crispy baked that way?

I forgot to add that I would dice up the jalapeno first.

They came out terrific! I also diced the jalapenos this time. I like the idea above about stuffing a fresh jalapeno and then forming the meat around it. Seems like it would have one or two fewer steps, and a little more heat to it. I browned the meatballs then finished them in the oven at a lower heat. I was afraid the cheese would cook out...but they came out great!

These ideas are so good! Thank you, this is going right onto my 'to make' short list! You're right, the cheese does cut down on the spiciness quite a bit. Since the heat is mostly in the seeds, I wonder how it would be to leave some (not all) of the seeds in? Or, mix them in with the cheese?
Boy, when the Food Network has a jalapeno meatball cook-off, we're ready!

if you leave a bit of the membrane (white white part inside) then it maintains its spiciness, but tones it down, its good to have three different levels of spiciness. i have friend who can handle each level and we like to mix it up. have you checked out allrecipes? you can enter which ingredients you want to use and find recipes that correspond to them.

That's good to know about the membrane, I didn't know that. I would have liked them a bit hotter, so next time I'll leave it on. I usually use recipezaar but I'm going to have to check out allrecipe. Sounds like a good site!

Wow...that's neat! My listing came before Rachael Ray's too...how cool is that? Just kidding...lol. For the meat mixture, I used a pretty standard meatball mix (although I prefer oatmeal to bread crumbs), and I added the cumin and smoked paprika. I browned them slightly, and then baked them slowly at a low oven temperature. I was afraid the cheese would bubble out too, but they came out good with very little leakage.

I read all the replies and was able to get quite engrossed. I live alone and I eat far too much as it is...I love to cook too so the combination means I am terribly overweight.
I can't seem to find the switch to turn off my wanting to eat.

The various suggestions in your discussion might just be put in my recipe file for when I have visitors...although meatballs can be frozen can't they????

Sure, I would think that they'd freeze perfectly. To reheat, I'd probably use the microwave at 50 or 70% power so that the cheese doesn't bubble out. Freezing them in portions would be an easy way to have them whenever you want. These were so good, that if it was me, I'd eat them everyday...lol. You can do so many things with meatballs.

Give these a try...you'll love them and they'll bring back a lot of happy memories too. be careful though...they're addicting.

I know! It is quite addicting!:)