Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

Imagine all of the delectable parts of a bacon cheeseburger– juicy beef, salty bacon, sharp cheddar, sweet caramelized onions– all rolled up into one delicious little bite-sized ball from heaven. Guess what… they do exist!

This is all Nick’s fault. Well, partly.

A couple months ago, our commissary had a case-lot sale. For those of you not in the know, this means that for 3 days they brought in Costco-sized products and sold them for cheap. Awesome, you’d think. Except that I’m one of those perimeter-of-the-store shoppers. I like to cook, I like to eat fresh food, and rarely do I venture down the aisles in the supermarket unless it’s for cereal, baking products or canned beans. In fewer words, we don’t typically eat processed, packaged junk, and that’s pretty much what the case lot sales are full of.

Somehow, while I wasn’t looking, Nick walked out with a 100-pack of Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese. OK, maybe 100 is an exaggeration, but it’s definitely more boxes of Mac ‘n Cheese than I’ve eaten in the last 5 years combined.

I rolled my eyes, stuffed the boxes into the depths of the pantry, and they’ve sat there since. Luckily, they have a shelf life of at least 50 years, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Well, last week or so, one of my friends posted a picture of that signature blue Kraft box to Instagram (follow me: @jessfuel).

Some wires in my brain must’ve gotten crossed or something, because for days all I could think about was Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese. I couldn’t honestly say when the last time I ate the stuff was, but it’s been a long time and I don’t know why the incessant craving hit so hard. But I had to have it.

I pulled up my “to-make” list to see what might go alongside my little orange friends, and these meatballs won out! They were the perfect addition to this comfort filled dinner.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

(adapted from Amy’s Cooking Adventures)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 oz bacon, chopped (about 4 regular or 2 thick-cut slices)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and onion and cook until bacon is crisp and onions are beginning to caramelize. Transfer from pan to a paper towel-lined plate and cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine bacon mixture with remaining ingredients and use hands to mix thoroughly. Form the meat mixture into 15 large balls and place 1 inch apart on a sprayed or oiled baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs 15-20 minutes, until they are cooked through and beginning to crisp.

You could be like me and take the easy way out and serve them up with a box ‘o Mac ‘n Cheese and a simple salad. OR, as the author of the blog these came from did, serve them with some mashed potatoes and butternut squash. Either way, they will be delicious. Leftovers? How about smashed in a hoagie roll with ketchup and mustard? YUM!!