I’ve never considered myself a good cook, just a gal with a collection of pretty good recipes that manage to turn out decently every so often. Many times, in despiration, I’ve invented things based upon the contents of my cupboards and refrigerator, and predictably crashed and burned with many EPIC failures over the years, but once in a great great while even a blind squirrel gets a nut, and here’s the nut I ended up with recently.
I’d fretted all busy day about what to make for supper. Opened the fridge in between loads of laundry and errands. Surveyed the cupboards between mowing and paying bills. Inspected the freezer between my shower and mopping the floors. Nothing was jumping out at me. Whatever plan I had come up with before my last trip to the grocery store a few days ago was totally escaping my memory. The whole day had now passed and here I was AT crunch time, almost in a panic, hubbie about to walk through the door, and me with still not a clue what to make. The only thing jumping out at me from the fridge was the tube of crescent rolls I’d bought to make sopapilla cheesecake.
I sat down for a quick read of my devotional and there found offered below the scripture, commentary, and prayer, a recipe for “Meatball Sandwiches” … Hmmm… ?
I had a package of Italian meatballs buried in the bottom of my freezer. I had purchased them to make Zuppa Toscano soup a few months ago, but then never made it, because hot summer weather and soup just never seemed to trip my trigger. And niether did speghetti.
What if I used those meatballs and the crescent rolls to make some kind of Italian Beerrocks?
Ingredients
1 pkg Spicy Italian Meatballs
2 sticks of mozzerella string cheese (the ones I had were “Hot Habanero”)
1 tube refrigerator crescent rolls
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Marinara Sauce
Garlic Powder
Italian seasonings
minced serrano chile
Instructions
1. First I cooked the meatballs according to package instructions, in the oven on 375*F, but for only 20 of the 30 minutes recommended.
2. While they cooked, I opened the tube of Crescent Rolls (gosh I hate that – gives me heart failure every time), and laid them out on my work surface and separated the sections. Then I sprinkled each triangle with garlic powder, and some Italian Seasonings.
3. Next I made my marinara sauce, since I didn’t have any jarred speghetti sauce or Butoni in the fridge. I poured two cans of crushed tomatoes into a sauce pot and whirled them with my Braun-wand-thingy until there were no chunks. Then I added about a tablespoon and a half of some Pizza spice I had in my cupboard and about a tsp of Italian Seasonings. And because I like things a little on the spicy side, I added a little bit of minced serrano chile that I had in the fridge. I set the pot on the stove and turned the burner to medium and let the sauce come to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. When the meatballs were cooked I removed them from the oven and sliced them part-way with a knife to make room for a piece of string cheese.
5. I placed a spoonful of marinara onto each dough triangle, then put a little pile of shredded parmesan (about a tablespoon worth) on top of each spoonful of sauce.
6. I cut my string cheese sticks into 4 pieces and placed a piece into each meatball, and set a meatball on top of each pile of sauce and parmesan, on each dough triangle as shown in the illustration.
7. I rolled each triangle up tightly, by first pulling the corners up and over the meatball, and then rolling it towards the far corner as shown here:
…And when I had formed nice tight balls, I pinched all the open places closed, and laid each ball on my cookie sheet, about 4″ away from each other to give them room to expand. (NOTE: 1 tube of dough makes 8 rolls. To make the meatballs and dough come out equal, you would need 3 tubes of dough and two 1-doz. pkgs of meatballs. Or, if you just want to make 8, you could cut the remaining meatballs in half and add half to each bun before rolling them up).
8. I placed the cookie sheet into the oven (350*F still warm from cooking the meatballs) and baked them as directed on the dough packaging – about 13 to 15 minutes.
This is what they looked like when they were done baking.
I served my little Beerrocks with a cup of warmed marinara to dip them in. They were delicious. Hubby even thought so. And, because they got the seal of approval from him, I thought I would share them with y’all … just in case you are in a pinch over what to have for supper, and happen to have all these same ingredients tucked away in your cupboards! 🙂
Note: These are only as good as the meatballs you make them with. Not all meatballs are created equal. I can totally vouch for this HEB brand, found in the meat section of the supermarket, or you can make your own if you have a terrific recipe.
Suggestion: Serve with a side Caesar Salad, or a nice cucumber salad (cucumber slices, red onion slices, bell pepper slices, and split cherry tomatoes in a sweet vinegar and oil sauce), or some cottage cheese and fruit, or just some carrot and celery sticks. The kids will love them too!
“Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14, KJV
((( P.S. Thanks Ms. Karen for the inspiration!!!!! )))
mrshlovesjesus 