Mexican Meatball Sandwich with Roasted Tomato & Pepper Chimichurri Sauce
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 (10 oz.) package of Cacique® Pork Chorizo
- 1/2 cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 cup Cacique® Queso Cotija Grated Cheese
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Roasted Tomato & Pepper Chimichurri:
- 2 Tomatoes, rinsed and cut into quarters
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, rinsed and into halves
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 2 cups lightly packed Italian Parsley leaves
- 4 tablespoons White Distilled Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Sandwich Essentials:
- 5 Baguettes or Hoagie Rolls, sliced lengthwise
- 1 package of Cacique® Dos Quesos Blend Shredded Cheeses
- Pepperoncini or Pickled Vegetables, optional for garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, Cacique® Pork Chorizo, bread crumbs, ricotta cheese, Cacique® Cotija Grated Cheese, garlic, and eggs. Mix gently until combined, make sure not to over work meat. Form the mixture into 15 meatballs about the size of a golf ball and place meatballs on a baking sheet. Set aside at room temperature.
- Toss tomatoes and red bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and transfer to a cookie sheet. Place in oven and roast until tomatoes and bell peppers are soft, approximately 20 minutes. Allow tomatoes and peppers to cool down before transferring to a food processor with the garlic, parsley and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Continue to pulse while you drizzle in olive oil. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt or to taste. Set aside in a bowl.
- Lower oven heat to 350°F. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs, working in batches, turning occasionally with a spoon for about 2 minutes. Return browned meatball to baking sheet and repeat with remaining meatballs. Place baking sheet of meatballs in oven and bake until cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Cut one open to check for doneness.
- Preheat Broiler. Place 3 meatballs in the middle of a baguette or roll. Sprinkle Cacique® Dos Quesos Blend Shredded Cheese with the amount of cheesed desired. Place sandwiches on baking sheet and broil for 30 seconds to 1 minute to melt cheese, watching closely to avoid burning cheese and bread.
- Pour Roasted Tomato and Pepper Chimichurri over hoagies and serve with pepperoncini or pickled vegetables.
