Steak & Bacon Cheddar Meatballs

Makes: 30-35 large meatballs

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
8 ounces (227 g) bacon, diced (about 11/2 cups/375 mL)
2 pounds (900 g) 80-per-cent lean ground beef
6 ounces (170 g) cheddar cheese, grated
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (125 ml) breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 220C / 425 F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the oil into a 9-by 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until bacon has browned and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions and bacon to a plate and refrigerate to cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled bacon/onion mixture, ground beef, cheddar, eggs, breadcrumbs and salt; mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Roll mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches / 4 cm), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Bake 20 minutes, or until meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the centre of a meatball should read 74C / 165 F. Allow meatballs to cool 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.