Juicy Lucy Meatballs

The Juicy Lucy. For those who have never heard of it, a Juicy Lucy is a burger that’s stuffed with cheese and any number of other ingredients, such as jalapenos or bacon. It’s my personal favorite way to make a burger, by far. But this time, I decided to change things up a bit. I took the basic premise of the Juicy Lucy and applied it to meatballs – to great success, I might add! I used ground turkey for these, but you can substitute it for pretty much any kind of ground meat, so go nuts!

Difficulty: Easy
Active Prep Time: About 10 minutes
Total Prep Time: 40 minutes
Special Equipment: Food Processor (Optional)
Makes: 10 – 12 meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds ground turkey
• 1 shallot (Or about a quarter of a regular onion)
• 2 - 4 cloves garlic
• Cheese of your choosing (I used about 1/4 ounce of marinated mozzarella)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (I used Panko)
• 1 tablespoon Essence (recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning) Ingredients:

• 2½ tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Instructions:

(Start by making Essence)

1. In a small bowl, mix together paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme. If there are clumps in it (paprika has a tendency to form clumps), 2 or 3 pulses in a food processor will smooth it out. Store in an airtight jar or container and set aside.

(Move on to the meat)

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the ground meat in a large bowl.

3. Put onion and garlic into a food processor and blend until well minced.

4. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the meat and mix by hand until well combined.

5.  Next add the egg and mix by hand until combined.

6. Add Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Essence, parsley, Panko, and red pepper flakes. Mix by hand until the dry ingredients are well integrated.

(Assembling the meatballs)

7. Form a small ball of meat, about 1½ inches across, then flatten it slightly on a wax paper-lined cutting board.

8. Pile a few pieces of cheese in the middle of the patty.

9. Form another ball of meat, slightly smaller than the first one. Flatten it on top of the first patty and pinch the edges together. Shape into a ball and place on a foil lined baking sheet.

10. Bake for 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’re browned a bit and there’s melted cheese pouring out of their centers. Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before serving.