You’ll enjoy yummy baked BBQ glazed cheese spinach meatballs, with cheddar and spinach, glazed with a homemade sweet, tangy sauce.
Almost 20 years ago my husband and I were served this recipe for BBQ Glazed Cheese & Spinach Meatballs at our friend Carla’s home in Central California. We thought they tasted incredible, and I’ve been making them ever since! True story! I don’t know where she got the original recipe. All I know is that my handwritten 3×5 recipe card is stained from nearly 20 years of making this dish.
The recipe is also fairly economical, because 1½ pounds of ground beef makes about 15 good-sized meatballs which can make several servings. Ground beef is mixed with spinach, grated cheddar cheese, onions, and spices, formed into individual portions, and browned in a skillet. They’re then baked in the oven with a homemade BBQ glaze coating them.
They come out of the oven amazingly delicious! The meatballs are simple to make, and taste GREAT, served over steamed rice. Our sons are grown men and no longer living at home, so when I make this meal for myself and my hubby, I make extra rice, so we can enjoy another meal of leftovers! Here’s how to make these BBQ glazed cheese spinach meatballs:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Meatballs
Seasonings, ground beef, cheese, onions and spinach are place in a large bowl, and then you will need to mix them together. I use a fork to combine the ingredients.
Okay… now that all of the ingredients are mixed, it’s time to shape the mixture into cute little meatballs!
Shape the meat mixture into a ball, rolling them between the palms of your clean hands! Each meatball should end up being about 2 inches in diameter.
Brown The Meatballs
You can make about 15 meatballs from the ground beef. Place them on aluminum foil as you make each one, before browning them in a skillet.
Here are the meatballs, browning in the skillet. If you do not have a large enough skillet to hold all the meatballs, no problem! You will simply need to brown them in two batches.
Brown the meatballs on all sides, but be sure NOT to cook them all the way through. They will finish cooking all the way through in the oven.
Dip Browned Meatballs Into Flour
Once the meatballs have been browned, remove them from the skillet. Place them, a couple at a time, into a small bowl of flour. Turn the meatballs gently, and cover them on all sides with flour.
When the meatballs are coated with flour, place them into the baking dish. Now they’re ready for the BBQ sauce!
Make the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, and then pour it over the tops of the meatballs. Now the BBQ glazed cheese spinach meatballs are ready to bake!
Bake The Glazed BBQ Cheese Spinach Meatballs
When the meatballs are finished baking, remove them from the oven. Here is what they look like hot, and right out of the oven. They smell so good right about now!
Time To Eat BBQ Glazed Cheese Spinach Meatballs!
Place a few meatballs on each individual plate. Drizzle the tops of the meatballs with some of the BBQ sauce. Garnish with a bit of parsley flakes, and serve the glazed BBQ cheese spinach meatballs on a bed of steamed rice. Grab a fork, and dig In!
This dish is especially delicious served with a side of rice, and a yummy salad or veggie. If you enjoy this dish, you might also enjoy my recipes for Meatballs Stroganoff, Mom’s Swedish Meatballs and Rice, Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice, or Easy Meatballs For Spaghetti! I sure hope you will give them a try… I think you’re gonna love ’em!
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Recipe Adapted from: My friend Carla Merrill
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
You'll enjoy yummy baked BBQ glazed cheese spinach meatballs, w/ cheddar and spinach, glazed with a homemade sweet, tangy sauce.
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach , thawed completely and drained well
- 1 small brown onion , finely chopped
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 Tablespoons grated cheddar cheese
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 6 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 Pinch dried parsley , for garnish (if desired)
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In large bowl, combine ground beef, thawed and *drained spinach* (see note), onion, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and grated cheddar. (*Note: Make sure the spinach is drained very well. Press the spinach between paper towels to absorb a lot of water!) Completely combine ingredients.
Using both hands, roll/shape meat into 2" balls (make approx. 15). Set meatballs onto non-stick paper or foil while making the rest.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. When hot, add meatballs. Don't move them the first couple of minutes (so they won't break apart). Brown all sides (but do not cook all the way through). Remove them to paper towels to drain. Place flour in a small bowl. Gently roll each meatball in flour. Once covered on all sides with flour, place them in an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Set aside.
Make The BBQ Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, mustard, butter, ketchup, and brown sugar. Simmer 2-3 minutes on low heat until butter melts and ingredients are combined. Pour sauce over the top of meatballs (spoon it up to cover them all).
Bake uncovered, at 325°F for 45-50 minutes. When done, transfer pan to wire rack. To serve, place meatballs on top of steamed rice (if using); spoon sauce from pan over top. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
If you want to make more than 15 meatballs, use 2 pounds of hamburger meat. Everything else in the recipe remains the same. You should be able to get about 20 meatballs this way. A serving size is 3-4 meatballs.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!