Ingredients
Scale
- 1 bag (16 oz) pre-cooked frozen Italian-style meatballs
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 4–5 slices of mozzarella cheese or 1 container of fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1 small can of sliced black olives
- Optional: Cooked spaghetti or linguine for serving
- Optional: Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the entire jar of marinara sauce into a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the frozen meatballs directly into the sauce. Stir gently to coat every meatball. Cover the pan and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through to the center. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water or beef broth to loosen it up.
- While the meatballs simmer, prepare your “eyes.” If using mozzarella slices, use a small circular cookie cutter or the wide end of a piping tip to cut out small white circles. If using mozzarella pearls, simply slice them in half. Take your sliced black olives and place one olive ring in the center of each cheese circle. This creates the pupil of the eye. For a more “bloodshot” look, you can use a toothpick to dab a tiny bit of marinara sauce into the center of the olive hole.
- Once the meatballs are hot, remove the lid. Place one cheese-and-olive “eye” on top of each meatball. Cover the skillet for just 30 to 60 seconds—only long enough for the cheese to slightly soften and stick to the meatball, but not long enough to melt away the shape. Serve the meatballs immediately over a bed of pasta or on their own with a side of garlic bread.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes