Meatball Swril

     

     With it being fall break & some or our kid's friends over for a sleep over I made spaghetti & meatballs with a little twist. Well actually a swirl. From a discussion I had with my father in-law when he tried my meatball cupcakes we decided I could do this in all sort of different treat forms, such as "Ding Dong's" from the Little Debbie Snacks (a.k.a. "Ring Dings" if you are used to the Drake's Cakes brand), or "Swiss Rolls" also from the Little Debbie Snacks (a.k.a. "Yodels" from Drake's Cakes). 

     This was a perfect time to try it. I have kicked this idea around a bit not sure if it would work out because of the meat shrinkage during cooking. I was pleasantly surprised that this did not happen! In fact it could not have worked out better. 

     I used the same recipe as with the meatball cupcakes, then I patted it down with my hands onto a sheet of parchment paper. Next I used a rolling pin to spread it out a little bit more and smooth out the meat for even thickness. The meat was the chocolate cake part of the Swiss Roll. For the cream I used just Mozzarella cheese. I had to cut this thin so it would roll & layed it on top of the meat. I was worried there wouldn't be enough cheese but there was. Turning over the end of the parchment paper to get the roll started, once it was started I was able to just using my hands to roll it up. At the end I pressed down a bit to seal the meat roll together. I put it in a standard meatloaf or bread pan that was greased with cooking spray. I poked some holes in it with a bamboo skewer for even cooking through out. Set the oven to 375 and backed for 45 minutes. After that time I take it out and carefully drain the excess grease then top with spaghetti sauce (this is the chocolate coating) and put it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. 

    Paired it with some pasta and garlic bread, it was a BIG HIT! All though I must admit the cupcake form is easier to eat & portioned well. The kids got a great kick out it. To help me explain the concept to the kids I bought some Swiss Rolls to show them, & we had those for dessert. I think that was their favorite part. Up next will be some Pomegranate Pork. Enjoy!