Description
This fun and festive recipe features spooky spaghetti topped with cheese-stuffed meatballs designed to look like eerie ‘eyeballs.’ Perfect for Halloween or any themed dinner, these meatballs are filled with gooey string cheese and decorated with black olive slices to resemble eyeballs, served over your favorite pasta with rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey/chicken)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (plain or Italian seasoned)
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 sticks of string cheese, cut into 4 pieces each (16 total)
- 1 small can of black olives, sliced
For the Pasta
- 1 lb. spaghetti noodles (or zoodles for a low-carb option)
- 24 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Prepare the Meatball Eyeballs: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well until fully combined.
- Shape the Meatballs: Form the mixture into 16 meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter each.
- Stuff with Cheese: Insert a piece of string cheese into the center of each meatball, leaving a bit of cheese protruding to resemble the white of an eyeball.
- Add the Iris: Place a slice of black olive on top of each meatball to create the eyeball’s iris.
- Bake the Meatballs: Arrange the meatballs in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Cook the Pasta: While the meatballs bake, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
- Prepare the Sauce: Pour the pasta sauce over the cooked noodles and stir thoroughly to coat evenly.
- Assemble the Dish: Divide the sauced spaghetti onto serving plates, forming a nest of noodles on each plate.
- Top with Meatballs: Place 2-3 cheese-stuffed meatball eyeballs on top of each pasta nest.
- Serve: Optionally serve with sides such as roasted green beans (nicknamed ‘witch’s fingers’) or garlic bread for a complete spooky meal experience.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- Using zoodles instead of spaghetti offers a low-carb alternative.
- Make sure not to overbake the meatballs to keep them juicy and the cheese melty.
- For extra flavor, try adding a pinch of crushed red pepper to the meatball mixture.
- Allow the meatballs to rest a few minutes after baking to set the cheese filling.
