Gorgeous flavoursome Pork Meatballs served with soft polenta which is cooked with both cream cheese and cheese, tied together with a rich tomato sauce. My Pork Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta is a comforting taste explosion.
I love dishes like this Pork Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta, it is soft comforting and warming. Plus simple to make! The only arduous part is rolling the meatballs, which I find rather cathartic.
If you haven’t cooked polenta before don’t be scared, it takes only minutes and you have the most delicious base for so many meals.
Ingredients:
- Pork mince, alternatively beef or chicken mince
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Flatleaf parsley leaves or curly parsley
- Tomato paste
- Egg, thsi is to bind your meatballs
- Breadcrumbs, I use panko breadcrumbs but homemade is also great
- Salt and pepper
- Onion
- Tomato passata, or pureed tomatoes
- Sugar, I use this to balance the tomato sauce
- Balsamic vinegar, this is to give the sauce some acidity
- milk, full fat is great in this polenta
- Instant polenta (cornmeal) make sure it is instant polenta for this recipe
- Cheese, the cheese flavours the polenta so something like cheddar, parmesan or even Colby
- Cream cheese, diced
- To serve – Brussel sprouts roasted in butter
How to make Pork Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta:
For the meatballs, take a large bowl and add the pork, garlic, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs and tomato paste. Mix well. I like to use my hands but a wooden spoon works well too. Shape into balls around 2 tablespoons in size, I like to use wet hands and place on a lined tray. Set aside while you make the sauce For the sauce, in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and once hot, add the onions, sauté for 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the passata, sugar and balsamic. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for around 10 minutes until thickened slightly. Set aside. Take another pan over a medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add the meatballs in batches and cook until golden. Turning while cooking for around 8 minutes.
Remove from the pan and add to the pan with the sauce. Simmer on a low heat for around 10 minutes.
While the meatballs are simmering in the sauce cook the polenta. In a large saucepan over a medium heat add 1 litre of milk and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to low and slowly and add the polenta, whisking continuously, cook for 2 – 3 minutes, still whisking, until thickened, add the butter, extra milk, cheese, cream cheese and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
To serve, place the polenta on the bottom and top with meatballs, serve with roasted Brussel sprouts and garnish with herbs.
If you are looking for more delicious dinner recipes, check out my posts for Chicken Mee Goreng and Quick Pork & Noodles.
Common questions about Pork Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta:
What can I use instead of pork? Chicken or Beef mince will also work well. Also a meat alternative mince will work too.
If I don’t like polenta? You can serve the meatballs with mashed potato.
What wine would you match Pork Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta with? Definitely a lovely Pinot Noir. Delightful.
Pork Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 grams pork mince
- Olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons flatleaf parsley leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
Sauce
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 700 mls tomato passata
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Polenta
- 1 litre milk
- 1 cup instant polenta cornmeal
- 40 grams butter diced
- ½ cup grated cheese cheddar, parmesan, Colby
- ½ cup cream cheese diced
- 1 cup milk extra
To serve
- Brussel sprouts roasted in butter
- Herbs for garnish flat leaf parsley
Instructions
-
For the meatballs, take a large bowl and add the pork, garlic, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs and tomato paste. Mix well. I like to use my hands but a wooden spoon works well too.
-
Shape into balls around 2 tablespoons in size, I like to use wet hands and place on a lined tray. Set aside while you make the sauce
-
For the sauce, in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and once hot, add the onions, sauté for 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, sugar and balsamic. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for around 10 minutes until thickened slightly. Set aside.
-
Take another pan over a medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add the meatballs in batches and cook until golden. Turning while cooking for around 8 minutes.
-
Remove from the pan and add to the pan with the sauce. Simmer on a low heat for around 10 minutes.
-
While the meatballs are simmering in the sauce cook the polenta
-
In a large saucepan over a medium heat add 1 litre of milk and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
-
Turn the heat to low and slowly and add the polenta, whisking continuously, cook for 2 – 3 minutes, still whisking, until thickened, add the butter, extra milk, cheese, cream cheese and salt and pepper.
-
Whisk to combine.
-
To serve, place the polenta on the bottom and top with meatballs, serve with roasted Brussel sprouts and garnish with herbs.
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