Meatball Sliders

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 shallots, finely diced
• 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, toasted (japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces ground lean lamb
• turkey italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
• 12 slider buns, toasted
• 12 basil leaves

Recipe

• 1 heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. add garlic and shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until shallots are softened, stirring frequently. combine shallot mixture, ricotta, and next 8 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl. shape mixture into 12 (1-inch) meatballs; flatten each meatball slightly.
• 2 return pan to medium-high heat. add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan. add meatballs to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning once. add marinara sauce; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until meatballs are done. top bottom half of each bun with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce, 1 meatball, 1 basil leaf, and top half of bun.