Pesto Meatball Melt Baguette Sliders

11/7/2022

Pesto Meatball Melt Baguette Sliders

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 25 - 30 Min

Yields: 8 Sliders

WHAT YOU NEED

326g Long French Baguette
Pepperoncini In Oil
8 Slices Pizza Mozzarella
MEATBALLS - 340g Beyond Beef, 1/2 Yellow Onion, finely diced, 1/4 C Cooked Brown Rice, 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped, 2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced, 1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt, 1/4 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
PESTO - 28g Fresh Basil, 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, 1 Tbsp. Hemp Hearts, 1/4 C Pine Nuts, 2 cloves Garlic, 3 Tbsp. Grana Padano, grated, Pinch Red Pepper Flakes, 1/2 Lemon, juice, 1/3 C + EVOO, 1/2 Tsp. + Sea Salt

MEATBALLS - Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a medium sized mixing bowl. Form in to 8 equal sized meatballs and place them on a baking sheet. Spray them with cooking spray and place them in to the oven to bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
In the meantime, prepare the PESTO. Add all of the ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Add additional EVOO if needed to emulsify. Set aside.
ASSEMBLY - Slice open the baguette and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO & Bake at 400 for 5ish minutes until warmed through. Remove and set on to a wire cooling rack. Next, spread a generous amount of pesto on each side followed by a spread of pepperoncini on the bottom half. Next, place the 8 meatballs on the bottom half of the baguette, nestling them in to the pesto. Place a slice of pizza mozzarella on top of each meatball. Switch the oven to BROIL at 500 F and remove the top portion of the baguette. Place the bottom portion under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Remove and place the top of the baguette on top of the melty meatballs. Slice the baguette in to 8 sliders, using the meatballs as your guide for sizing.
Place them on a serving dish and ENJOY!