Cheese and Oatmeal Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Oatmeal meatballs can be prepared with or without cheese. That being said, what really goes well with them is a spicy tomato sauce, which gives them an interesting and contrasting flavor.

Cheese and oatmeal meatballs are a vegetarian delicacy that turns out to be very nutritious. Not only does this recipe provide you with plenty of fiber and other essential nutrients, but it’s also a considerable source of energy.

First of all, don’t forget that oatmeal is a grain loaded with B vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and folic acid.

Cheese and oatmeal meatballs can be adapted for vegan diets as well: simply replace the cheese with tofu or another ingredient that’s not of animal origin.

However, the following recipe was originally created for vegetarians or anyone who’s curious about and wants to try this branch of gastronomy.

Cheese and Oatmeal Meatballs

Ingredients (makes 20 or 25 meatballs)

• 2 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion (60 g/2 oz)
• 3 medium sized eggs (180 g/6.5 oz)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (50 g/1.75 oz)
• 1 cup of rolled oats (100 g/3.5 oz)
• Hot water
• 1 small whole wheat baguette, toasted and firm
• 1 cup of shredded Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (100 g/3.5 oz)
• Condiments: salt, pepper, and any other spices you like

Directions

1. Put the rolled oats in a food processor and process until it becomes flour. Once it’s ready, there’s no need to sift.
2. Add a little hot water to the oatmeal to moisten it. Now, knead the oatmeal and, if necessary, add a bit more water.
3. Peel and grate the onion.
4. In another bowl, take the toasted baguette and crumble it completely. The smaller the crumbs, the better.
5. On a cutting board, peel and mince the walnuts. You can also put them in a food processor to pulverize them, but it’s better to mince them as it will give the meatballs a better texture.
6. Crack the eggs and beat them with a whisk. The yolks and egg whites need to be completely mixed in for the meatball to turn out correctly.
7. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
8. Place the oatmeal, onion, bread crumbs, and walnuts in the same bowl. Add your preferred condiments along with the garlic, cheese, and finally, the beaten eggs.
9. Knead the dough with your hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed and the dough has your desired consistency.
10. Form the meatballs with your hands and fry them with plenty of olive oil for a few minutes. Avoid letting them cook too long on one side. On the contrary, you need to move them around while they are frying so they’re evenly golden on all sides and don’t burn.
11. Lastly, let the excess oil drain from the meatballs by placing them in a dish lined with paper towels.
12. Once the meatballs are ready, pour plenty of spicy tomato sauce over top and serve.

Spicy Tomato Sauce for Oatmeal Meatballs

Ingredients

• 5 tomatoes
• 2 chipotle peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ onion (21 g/0.75 oz)
• ¼ cup of water (50 ml/1.75 fl oz)
• 1 cup of chicken broth (250 ml/ 8.5 fl oz)
• Condiments: salt and pepper
• Substitutions: instead of chipotle peppers, you may use another spicy pepper

Directions

1. Peel the three garlic cloves and cut them into small pieces.
2. Then, finely dice the onions and slice the tomatoes.
3. Put a saucepan over medium heat with a little olive oil.
4. Put the chicken broth, the chipotle peppers, and the rest of the ingredients in a blender.
5. Blend everything until you have an even mixture that’s quite thick but without lumps.
6. Pour the mixture into the hot saucepan and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes, approximately.
7. Try adding salt little by little. Taste it to make sure it’s to your liking and if not, add a bit more salt.
8. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the meatballs.

Vegan Oatmeal Meatballs

Ingredients (makes 20 or 25 meatballs)

• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ onion (21 g/0.75 oz)
• 1 cup of spinach (100 g/3.5 oz)
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts (50 g/1.75 oz)
• 1 cup oatmeal flour (100 g/3.5 oz)
• Hot water
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce (5 ml/0.15 fl oz).
• Condiments: salt, pepper, and any other spices you like

Directions

1. Finely dice the onion.
2. Put a little olive oil in a frying pan and let it heat up. Then, stir fry the onion until it’s slightly golden.
3. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the walnuts.
4. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then pour in a little water to moisten the mixture.
5. Add the teaspoon of soy sauce to the mixture.
6. Knead the dough with your hands. Then, form the meatballs one by one until you have the quantity desired.
7. Lastly, fry the meatballs in a frying pan with plenty of olive oil.

Things to Consider

Clearly, this is a very easy recipe whose flavor and juiciness comes principally from the spicy tomato sauce.

It’s worth pointing out that since it’s made from oatmeal, these meatballs require a total cooking time of 5 minutes, or maybe even less.

Don’t forget that while you’re frying them, you’ll need to turn them over often to prevent them from burning. Once they’re ready, the only thing left to do is enjoy and share them!