Italian Beef Bombs

I was scrolling through pinterest and I came across a recipe for a bbq bacon bomb. A meatball wrapped in onion, then wrapped in bacon. Baked then finished with barbecue sauce.

My first thought was oh my goodness, my husband would love that! My second thought was, how can I make this dish my own?

Now, I'll be completely honest with you & tell you that this did not turn out the way that I wanted it to. It turned out better & worse all at the same time.

Worse, because my initial vision did not match the end product. Better because the flavors were A-mazing! 

So I've decided to share with you the development stage of this dish. Normally, I will work on an idea but won't post about it till Im satisfied with the process as well as the end result.

This time, Im showing you how you can take an idea, put your personal spin on it & tell you that even if it doesn't turn out perfect, thats absolutely fine.

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Inspiration: Bbq Bacon Bombs.

Personal Twist: Take away the bbq & bring in Italian flavors.

Process: Overall, it went well but at the end Ill go over what changes I will be making.

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What You Will Need: Ground beef, bacon, cheese cut into chunks, garlic, large onion, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese & a can of diced tomatoes. You will also need a couple toothpicks.

Preheat your oven to 425.

Start with your onion. Cut off both the top and bottom ends.

Slice in half & remove the outer skin.

Carefully peel apart the onion petals, reserving the small middle sections for the next step.

Into your ground beef add diced onion, garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, salt/pepper & parmesan cheese. 

If the mixture feels wet, add in the panko bread crumbs. Mix and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Form your meatballs, I went with a size a little smaller then a baseball. Place in your chunk of cheese & wrap the meat around it, pressing firmly to seal.

Next, using two onion petals, wrap them around the meatball.

**Trick**

If your like me & purchase thick cut bacon, you will find that it will be easier to wrap the meatballs if you thin it out.

Place the bacon between two pieces of plastic wrap.

Using a rolling pin, press the strips out. They will get longer & thinner. 

Wrap and secure with a toothpick.

In a large baking dish, pour in the can of diced tomatoes & place the bombs on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Server over a starch and spoon on plenty of the tomatoes and meat drippings.

I served mine over Zucchini Risotto. Rice or a short pasta would work well.

Oh, hello melty, cheese chunk...we meet again!

Overall I can't complain, the end flavors of this dish were outstanding. My big issue was the bacon. Half way through the cooking process I open the oven to find that the bacon had shrunk & looked more like a meaty crown on top of each meatball. 

At the time I was frustrated & angry at myself for not foreseeing that happening. 

Even tho it cooked for 40 minutes @ 425, the bacon did not get crispy. And thats how we like our bacon in this house...extra crispy! 

I ended up removing the piece of bacon from the meatball before eating. When I make this dish again, I will be placing two small strips of bacon on the top of each meatball. I feel that the bacon added great taste & moisture but wrapping it around wasn't the right technique. 

In the end, I loved this dish. It was fun, delicious & a learning experience. As much as I love to cook & all the time I spend in my kitchen, I still screw things up. But sometimes, when you mess something up, you really end up with something great!

Enjoy & Always Learn with Love!