Polpettone ~ Cheese Stuffed Meatballs!

I hope that you've loosened your pants because things are about to get real! Polpettone are giant delicious ground beef meatballs or meat patties that are stuffed with cheese and then breaded. The mozzarella gives you that ooey gooey cheese pull for each bite that you take.

While the shape is much larger and often flatter than a meatball, the ingredients are very similar to a meatball. Garlic, onion, parmesan, eggs, herbs, and breadcrumbs bind together with the ground beef to form a delicious out layer for what gets stuffed inside. Then cheese is nestled into the center. These are then lightly breaded and either baked or fried for a crispy and salty exterior.

Finally, Polpettone are usually served with pasta and tomato sauce. These are also delicious with Brazilian Baked Rice with Cheese and Tomatoes. It's an easy and delicious dinner that you can prepare ahead and even freeze. Then make simply for dinner on a busy weeknight!

Polpettone Background

Polpettone come from Italy originally, are sometimes called Italian meatloaf, and are stuffed with cheese or even hard boiled eggs. In Brazil, they're spelled Polpetone (one 't') and are on so many restaurant menus. Here in São Paulo, I can even find them in the frozen section at grocery stores. Historically, there were many Italian immigrants to Brazil, especially between 1880 and 1920. More than one million Italians immigrated to Brazil during this time with 70% of them settling in São Paulo. Hence, the abundance of Italian-influence and Italian recipes in the cuisine here!

Ingredients and Swaps

Polpettone

• Lean Ground Beef – I used 90% extra lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder. You can use frozen onions as well.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Breadcrumbs, unseasoned – I used regular fine breadcrumbs for mixing in. You can use panko bread crumbs. You can also make your own breadcrumbs by toasting up bread and then pulsing it in a food processor.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese – The grated parmesan is for flavor and to help with binding the beef. Grated is better than shredded in this recipe as it mixes through more. You can swap it for more breadcrumbs.
• Eggs – The eggs are to help bind the ground meat together. If you don't have eggs, you can substitute the eggs with another thick and creamy ingredient, such as mayonnaise, greek yogurt, or even dijon mustard or sour cream.
• Salt – I used kosher salt, but any salt will work.
• Ground Black Pepper – You can use fine or coarse ground black pepper. I like fresh ground, but pre-ground is fine too.
• Slices of mozzarella cheese - Mozzarella is a traditional cheese stuffing and melts nicely. Sliced is easier to stuff than shredded. You can use a variety of cheeses, such as provolone, jack cheese, swiss cheese, fontina, or other melty cheese.

Breading and Sauce

• Breadcrumbs - I used panko for the outside, but you can use fine breadcrumbs too.
• Dried Oregano – Oregano is such a perfect herb to bring this soup to life. You can substitute dried Italian seasoning or dried marjoram or even dried rosemary or thyme.
• Salt and Pepper - I recommend seasoning the outside breadcrumbs as well as the inside of the beef.
• Olive Oil Spray – As we are baking these cutlets, you want to be able to apply the oil without brushing off the breadcrumbs. That’s where an oil sprayer, either store-bought or refillable, is a great option. You can use olive oil, vegetable oil, or other oil.
• Marinara Tomato Sauce - Use whatever your favorite tomato sauce is. You can also used canned crushed tomatoes with just minced garlic.

Simple Equipment and Tools

For this recipe, you need a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11) for baking the polpettone.

Then for the sauce, you need pot or a large skillet/frying pan if you want to finish the polpettone in the sauce on the stove or in the oven. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan.

You could also use a large casserole baking dish that’s approximately 10×13 or similar for the sauce and to lay the polpettone in the sauce.

Recipe Tips

First, I recommend making extra polpettone and then freezing them. They are incredibly delicious and easy to bake directly from the freezer. See the FAQs or recipe notes for more on this.

Second, for the outside, I recommend using panko vs. fine breadcrumbs. Panko are coarse pieces of breadcrumbs and give you more texture and crunch.

Finally, to get ahead if you want these on a busy weeknight, you can make, stuff, and bread the patties the day before. Cover them with plastic wrap on a sheet pan and store them in the refrigerator. Then simply bake them when you are ready to eat!

Make The Polpettone Beef Mixture

Finely dice the onions. Mince the garlic.

For the cheese, take 2 slices at a time and then quarter them and stack the quarter slices. You will have 6 stacks of 8 slices that will be used to fill the meatballs/patties.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, 1 cup breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together to completely combine.

Divide the meat mixture in half in the bowl and then divide each half into thirds, so that you can make sure to get 3 patties from each half, for a total of 6.

Stuffing, Breading, and Cooking

Take one of the 6 sections of beef and form it into a 1-in thick patty. Place one of the 6 stacks of mozzarella cheese in the center of the patty and them using your fingers, gently fold the sides of the patty up around the cheese so you can no longer see any of the cheese.

Place the meatball on a baking sheet and gently press to flatten it slightly. Then do the same for the other 5 patties.

In a medium bowl, add the 2 cups of breadcrumbs, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Mix to combine.

For each of the patties, gently press them in the breadcrumbs to coat them with a light layer of breading. The meat should be wet enough so that the breadcrumbs stick. But if not, you can beat an egg and first dip the patties into the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Place back on the sheet pan.

Spray the tops of the Polpettone with olive oil. Then gently flip them over and spray the other side.

Bake in a 400 F degree oven for 40 minutes until golden brown. It's okay if the cheese starts to ooze out of the patties!

Wile the Polpettone are baking, warm up the marinara sauce. I like to serve the Polpettone on top of the sauce, so the tops stay crispy and crunchy and each bite can be dipped into the sauce. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Polpettone

Traditionally, it's served with spaghetti. However, I love it with rice as well! You can either serve it with Brazilian Baked Rice with Cheese and Tomatoes or with a just a simple Brazilian Rice {with Onions and Garlic}. You could also serve this with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.

For a vegetable side, I recommend Sauteed Kale with Bacon and Garlic {Couve a Mineira}. You can also go with a simple green salad.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef?For this Polpettone recipe, you can really use any ground meat or poultry. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey. For ground poultry, you may need more breadcrumbs to help it bind together and give a firmer texture. Add another ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and if it still feels too wet, add another ¼ cup. Everything else will be the same.

Can I freeze these Polpettone?Yes, you can freeze polpettone before cooking them. Make the polpettone according to the recipe instructions. Before cooking them, place on parchment paper, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan with all 6 (or less if you are cooking some now) in the freezer to flash freeze them for 4-6 hours. Once frozen, move them to an airtight container. They will last in the freezer for up to 9 months. You can place them directly on a sheet pan into the oven at 400 F degrees for 50-600 minutes until cooked through.

How can I make these Polpettone Gluten Free?To make this Polpettone recipe gluten free, there are a few things to swap. First, you will want to replace the breadcrumbs in the ground meet. You can either use gluten free breadcrumbs or replace the breadcrumbs with more parmesan cheese! For the breadcrumbs on the outside, you can leave them off all together or again substitute gluten free breadcrumbs.

Can I fry these Polpettone in a skillet?If you want to first get a golden crust by frying the Polpettone in a little bit of vegetable oil in a skillet and then finish them in the oven. Preheat a ¼ inch of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the breaded polpettone and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side to get get a golden brown crust. Then transfer them to a sheet pan and finish in the 400 F degree oven for 30 minutes.