KITCHEN LITTLE ESSENTIALS
To make these Saucy Meatball Sliders with Peppers and Onions, you will need:
A sheet pan or baking dish
Juicy (store-bought!) Italian style meatballs, gooey mozzarella cheese, quick sautéed peppers and onions, and sweet Hawaiian rolls make up these tasty Meatball Sliders with Peppers and Onions – and I think you guys are going to love them like we do in my house.
There’s just something about a slider, no? Mini things are just appealing (see: cupcakes, cake pops, tiny cookies, etc.), and this appeal isn’t just limited to the world of sweets. Nope, I have it on good authority that tiny sandwiches – aka sliders – are just as well received by crowds of hungry people.
I tested this theory out on my family last night, in fact.
These are pretty simple to make, all told. I’m taking a little help from the meat department of my supermarket and leaning on some pre-made meatballs. Now, I’m not talking about frozen meatballs – those aren’t nearly as good. I’m just talking about the one’s that are fresh and already mixed and flavored, and you can find them right in the pork section of basically any supermarket.
That said, of course you are welcome to go ahead and fashion your own favorite meatballs from scratch if you are so inclined. That’s always a good thing, but in the name of saving some time and dirty dishes, I find that these pre-made meatballs can be super helpful for a weeknight (or any night) meal.
As far as the sauce goes, we’ll whip up a very fast and simple tomato sauce, flavored with fruity olive oil, onion, garlic, and dried oregano. You’ll notice that I ask you to sprinkle a little sugar in this sauce and this is TOTALLY NECESSARY!
The sugar doesn’t make some sweet-tasting sauce, it simply helps to combat the inherent acidity of the tomatoes (especially canned tomatoes) and it really helps make the sauce taste amazing. Give the sauce a taste before you add the sugar and then again after, and see if you can’t tell a marked difference …
A spoonful of sugar helps more than medicine go down, turns out.
Saucy Meatball Sliders with Peppers and Onions: Here’s the Step-by-Step
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust your rack to the middle position.
Add 2 TBSP of the oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all aides until nice and crusty; about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meatballs to a large baking sheet, cut them in half (see note) and set aside for now. Drain the drippings from the pan (no need to wipe it out).
Add another 2 TBSP olive oil to the skillet, followed by the sliced peppers and the sliced ½ onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until nice and tender; about 10 minutes. Transfer to the same baking sheet with the meatballs.
Add the remaining 2 TBSP olive oil to the pan, followed by the diced ½ onion. Saute for a few minutes, just until tender. Add the dried oregano and garlic and cook for one minute more, stirring. Add the crushed tomatoes and the sugar (this really helps mellow out their acidity) and add the meatballs back into the sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to develop flavor and the meatballs to cook through.
To build the sliders, place the rolls on a large baking sheet(s) or large baking dish and pile some sautéed peppers and onions onto the bottom halves of each, followed by a slice of mozzarella (you can tear the cheese to fit your rolls, if needed). Top with a couple of meatball halves and a little sauce. Put the tops on each slider and brush with some of the herby garlic oil (see below).
Lay a piece of foil over the rolls as they bake to keep them from getting too brown. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops are toasty and the cheese is melted (best part!).
Serve with a bowl of the sauce, warmed, for dunking.
To make the herby garlic oil:
Add the olive oil, garlic and onion powders, and dried oregano to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Allow it to heat for 5 minutes, so the flavors can bloom.
If you like the looks of these Saucy Meatball Sliders with Peppers and Onions, you might want to check out:
Easiest Hands-Off Spaghetti and Meatballs
Saucy Meatball Sliders with Peppers and Onions
Delicious meatballs sliders with sautéed peppers and onions and gooey mozzarella cheese. Total crowd-pleasers. Makes 24 sliders.
- Yield: 24 sliders 1x
Ingredients
6 TBSP olive oil, divided
24 store-bought Italian style meatballs (from your grocer’s meat/pork section, not the frozen kind)
Salt and pepper, as needed
2 bell peppers (any color), sliced
1 large onion, half sliced and half diced
3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
2 tsp dried oregano
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
24 Hawaiian rolls, split
16 oz. sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
For the Herby Garlic Oil
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust your rack to the middle position.
- Add 2 TBSP of the oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides until nice and crusty; about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meatballs to a large baking sheet, cut them in half (see note) and set aside for now. Drain the drippings from the pan (no need to wipe it out).
- Add another 2 TBSP olive oil to the skillet, followed by the sliced peppers and the sliced ½ onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until nice and tender; about 10 minutes. Transfer to the same baking sheet with the meatballs.
- Add the remaining 2 TBSP olive oil to the pan, followed by the diced ½ onion. Saute for a few minutes, just until tender. Add the dried oregano and garlic and cook for one minute more, stirring. Add the crushed tomatoes and the sugar (this really helps mellow out their acidity) and add the meatballs back into the sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 30 minutes to allow the sauce to develop flavor and the meatballs to cook through.
- To build the sliders, place the rolls on a large baking sheet(s) or large baking dish and pile some sautéed peppers and onions onto the bottom halves of each, followed by a slice of mozzarella (you can tear the cheese to fit your rolls, if needed). Top with a couple of meatball halves and a little sauce. Put the tops on each slider and brush with some of the herby garlic oil (see below).
- Lay a piece of foil over the rolls as they bake to keep them from getting too brown. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops are toasty and the cheese is melted (best part!). Serve with a bowl of the sauce on the side, for dunking.
- To make the herby garlic oil, add the olive oil, garlic and onion powders, and dried oregano to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Allow it to heat for 5 minutes, so the flavors can bloom.
Notes
NOTE: Cutting the meatballs in half will help them cook through faster and will also help them lay still/flat once they’re on the rolls.
