Smashed Meatball Rolls

Smashed Meatball
Rolls

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 20 - 25 Min

Yields: 4 Sandwiches

WHAT YOU NEED

• 4 x Sandwich Rolls
• PESTO
• Fresh Basil
• Grana Padano

www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/macadamia-nut-pesto
**Note - I didn't have macadamia nuts so I used this recipe and featured 2 Tbsp. Raw Pine Nuts & 2 Tbsp. Roasted & Salted Cashews. I also added a bit more cheese so add a couple extra chunks ;)

• 8 Tbsp. + Pizza Mozzarella, shredded
• Store-Bought Red Tomato Pesto (Sub any red pesto)

MEATBALLS

• 340g Impossible Foods Beef
• 1 Piece Artisan Bread, torn in to very small pieces
• 2% Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1/2 Small Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 1 clove Garlic, crushed & minced
• 1/4 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 Tsp. Himalayan Salt

DIRECTIONS

• If the pesto was not prepared in advance, prepare it now according to the recipe provided :)
• Preheat oven to 425 F​

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• MEATBALLS - Add the torn up bread to a mixing bowl and pour in enough milk to coat the bread. Toss it around / mash it up with a fork a bit to make sure the bread is soaked. Grab all of the remaining ingredients and chop / prepare while the bread soaks. Add everything to the bowl and work together with your hands until thoroughly combined. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture and roll in to ball shapes; you're looking for 8 equal sized balls. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment & sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake for 16 - 20  minutes, flipping halfway until nice and golden on both sides. Remove and set on to a wire cooling rack. Gently smash the meatballs on the tray and top them with 1 + Tbsp. of shredded mozz. I used about a Tbsp. but you may want more! return them to the oven for a couple minutes until the cheese is melty.​

• ASSEMBLY - In the meantime, preheat a grill pan and slice open your rolls. Drizzle / brush the open side of the rolls with EVOO. Slap on the grill and cook until crisp with nice grill marks, working in batches depending on the size of your grill pan. Remove and rub the cooked side of each roll with raw garlic.
• Spread fresh pesto on side, and red pesto on the other. Use as much or as little of each as you'd like, but I'd suggest slathering in that fresh pesto because it's just so delicious! Place two, cheesy smashed meatballs on each roll and grate some fresh grana padano over them. Close them up, garnish with basil if desired, and serve. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG