Stuffing Balls. A new way to make Stuffing

All of a sudden it was Christmas and the family just couldn’t get it together between them to decide what they were going to eat at the biggest feast of the year.  Some wanted a modern easy to prepare feast like a barbecue with seafood and salads and great big comfy chairs looking towards the pool or windows at least. The remainder clung white knuckled to cultural history favouring the roasting of joints and the baking of vegetables and the impasse produced these Stuffing Balls!

This may not sound like your family if you don’t live in Australia or New Zealand, but here in the heat at Christmas for many of us there is still the temptation to believe that Santa is wearing that red suit with the fur in the collar because it is snowing outside. No matter if we like it or not it is hot here at Christmas. We are in Australia, and that is how it is.

I’m not really sure where I first saw these stuffing balls but they are a very tasty and fast alternative to stuffing. It doesn’t matter what you are baking, it just means that the cooking will be quicker because the stuffing is on the outside. I know it’s not a new idea but the way I’ve made them is, and that’s because you can make them ahead if you want. They actually seem to get more flavoursome as they go along. So in our hot climate that means less time for the oven to be on or it means you can have stuffing with your barbecue, keeping traditions in tact . Good eh?

I even tested it out for you by making them and reheating them the next day, and the day after. They pass the test; Skaters been eating them with the oddest of things, not one of them being roasted meat. So they are tasted, tested and ready to go. If you wanted a gluten free version you could use something like rice crumbs.

I have been making some recipes in partnership with Maille a company that started in 1747 in France. Phew that’s a long time ago.

Dreaming up recipes wasn’t at all hard because I use so much mustard anyway. What I didn’t know before now though was that Maille have a lot more products than I ever knew. Have a look next time you are in the supermarket, you’ll be surprised. I have another recipe for you this week too. A cute breakfast small bite dish……with the easiest cocktail in the world to go with it.

You gonna be so happy!

The stuffing balls are baked, not fried and this keeps them juicy and moist. This is a tray halfway through being baked they are being turned and returned to the oven to brown up.

Stuffing Balls.

Roll these up and bake when you have a delicious roasted Turkey, Chicken or Pork.

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Holiday Food, Party Food

Servings 26

Ingredients

  

• 500 gm Pork Mince
• 2 cloves garlic to your taste
• 100 gm onion finely diced
• 20 ml olive oil 1 tablespoon
• 1 bunch sage leaves picked
• 2 teaspoon Oregano chopped or 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Thyme chopped
• 125 ml olive oil extra
• 3 tablespoons Maille Honey Dijon Mustard
• 1 whole Egg
• 50 gm Japanese Panko crumbs 1 Aus/ cup. Save the rest of the package for finishing.
• 210 gm Maille Dijon Original Mustard
• 100 gm carrot grated 1/2 cup
• 5 gm salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Oven 180 C / 350 F, 1 paper lined baking sheet , 2 x plates for rolling
• Warm a small frying pan on the stove-top and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, onion and the garlic to the frypan and cook on low to medium till soft. Cool. ( i like to cook the onion first because it isn't as harsh in flavour as raw onion, this step is optional)
• Meanwhile put the pork mince ( ground pork), herbs, grated carrot, Panko bread crumbs, honey mustard, and salt and pepper into a bowl and mix in the cooled onion and egg. Mix well with your hands
• *** I always test a small ball of mixture by cooking in a frypan so that I can check that the flavours are good and there is enough salt, pepper, garlic and herbs for my liking before I go any further* this is optional. Form into small bitesize balls, all the same size. If the meat is sticking to your hands and you can't roll balls, wash your hands clean and roll with barely damp hands for best results. Put all of the balls onto a flat plate or tray. Put 2-3 ( or more if needed) big dollops of Maille dijon mustard onto the balls and turn them over to coat all of them with a nice thick layer of dijon.
• Spread the remainder of the packet of Panko Japanese breadcrumbs onto another tray and roll the balls in the crumbs to coat them.
• Transfer the balls onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil ( from the 2 cups you have set aside). Put as much or as little as you like, but just make sure there is a small amount on each ball. Alternatively you could spray them with olive oil spray.
• Bake the balls for 10 minutes before turning over and baking a further 5-8 minutes ( this will depend on your oven fan forced or not). Test one by cutting in half and checking the interior is cooked.
• Use these immediately or put into a container and cool in the fridge till needed
• They can be reheated in the oven for 10 minutes or popped into the microwave for a minute on high.

Notes

Make sure you use Panko Crumbs. They are lighter and crisper.

Come back on Friday  for Tiny Eggs Benedict with delicious easy Prosecco cocktails for breakfast!

My Kitchen Stories was supported by Maille for this post. All recipes and opinions are my own.