Muffler Meatballs

With a lot of restaurants that are closed for indoor dining, here's a great way to eat a hot meal while out snowmobiling. Try making my Muffler Meatballs.

I had the opportunity to shoot a video describing my passion for cooking and adventure sports. And how, for me, those two came together into this new and adventurous culinary career. It's my unique Culinary POV (point of view), which I call my Culinary Exploration, Fueled by my Ingenious Hunger for Adventure. Check out the article that was written about my "Appetite For Adventure" - https://fueledby.com/muffpot

We do a lot of snowmobiling in the winter on Michigan's 6,500-plus miles of groomed snowmobile trails. These meatballs are some of my favorite things to bring with us. I make these meatballs ahead of time, add them to my Muffpot (a special cooker that attaches to the snowmobile muffler), seal it up and off we go! Always cook the food fully first because the Muffpot will heat the food but not cook it from start to finish. People on the trails are amazed when we pull out these hot, juicy, gooey, cheesy meatballs for lunch on the snowy trails.

Meatballs

Makes 18 meatballs

1 cup breadcrumbs, or house-seasoned croutons

1 cup heavy cream

1 pound ground beef

1 pound pork sausage

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

⅔ cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for topping

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon House Seasoning (salt, pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder and smoked paprika)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, soak breadcrumbs or croutons in milk.

Crumble ground beef and sausage in a large mixing bowl. Add onion, garlic, eggs, Parmesan, parsley, House Seasoning and milk-soaked croutons. Gently mix together and form into round balls, roughly 2 ounces each.

Place meatballs on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Garnish with extra Parmesan.

NOTE

Heavy cream will add a creamy richness to these meatballs, but feel free to use milk for fewer calories.