Smokey stuffed meatballs with homemade marinera

     I was recently in Wisconsin visiting family and I brought back cheese!!!  So stuffed meatballs it is.  I used a nice smokey mozzarella and white cheddar.  These meatballs are oozey goodness, and the marinera sauce is deliciously saucy.

Marinera Sauce

- 3 cans crushed tomatoes  

- 1/2 medium onion (diced)

- 2 tbs fresh parsley

- 1/4 cup red wine

- 1 clove minced garlic

-1 cup mushrooms ( optional)

- 2 tsp basil ( to sweeten it up a bit)

- salt and pepper to taste

-2 tsp garlic powder

Combine ingredients and simmer for 2-4 hours

Stuffed meatballs

- 1 1/2 # ground beef ( You can use any type of venison)

- 8 oz smoked cheese ( I used a mozzarella/white cheddar) Cubed into 6 equal pieces

- 6 slices bacon

-2 Tbs fresh parsley

-1 Tbs black pepper

- 1/2 chopped onion

- 1 egg

-15 crushed saltine crackers

- 1 Tbs ketchup or BBQ sauce

Mix all the ingredients except cheese and bacon.  Form into six equal balls.  Wrap each cube of cheese with a slice of bacon and insert into meatball and reform around it.  Bake at 325 for about an hour.

I like to serve this over bow ties, but any pasta will do.  I hope you enjoy!