This post is sponsored by Red Gold Tomatoes. All opinions are my own. #RedGoldRecipes #RedGoldTomatoes

Italian Meatball Dip

My husband is Italian and that means I married into a big, loud and enthusiastic family who knows their way around the kitchen with meatballs and tomatoes. Most of my husband’s favorite childhood memories include cooking with his grandfather or riding along in the delivery truck as he delivered bread and cookies to Italian restaurants. Food is very important to his family and everything is centered around who is cooking and when dinner is ready. We unfortunately don’t live near my husband’s father, uncle or his Italian cousins so it’s a rare treat to be in the kitchen watching the magic happen as they prepare a family meal. They are also closely bonded over sports and this month my husband has spent most nights we’re home watching football while texting or talking on the phone with all of his family participating in a fantasy football league together. As much fun as he’s having, I recognize the only thing missing are the favorite Italian dishes his grandfather would make. This week I talked him into making homemade meatballs for a game day Italian Meatball Dip Recipe. The house smelled amazing and we all loved the yummy Italian Meatball Dip we shared while we watched the football game and listened on speakerphone as the family cheered on their favorite players. I used the meatballs my husband made and layered with cream cheese, Red Gold Tomatoes and mozzarella cheese for a delicious nod to the days my guy spent in the kitchen cooking with his grandfather.

According to my husband, making meatballs is an art and any variation of the recipe will compromise the taste. He usually makes homemade sauce and simmers the meatballs for hours before we can taste test. This week I told him to just make the meatballs and leave the rest to me. We prefer Red Gold tomatoes because they are steam packed fresh and come packed in Non-BPA/BPS lined cans. Red Gold is a family owned company of 75 years and they have some of the best quality. I use them because they help turn everyday meals into delicious family favorites. Using the diced tomatoes meant we took off hours of cooking time normally spent in our kitchen for an Italian dish.

Italian Meatball Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground sirloin
• ¼ C Parsley, chopped
• ½ C Parmesan. finely grated
• 2 Garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Eggs
• 3 C Italian breadcrumbs
• 8 oz Cream cheese
• 14.5 oz Red Gold petite diced tomatoes
• 8 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

To make the meatballs, mix chopped sirloin, parsley, parmesan, garlic and eggs in bowl. With hands mix in breadcrumbs one cup at a time until the mixture is a dough like consistency. The mixture should stick together and not feel dry. Carefully roll meatballs with your hands and place on a baking sheet. My husband’s meatballs are usually about three times this size but I asked him to make them small to be used in the dip.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

To prepare the meatball dip you will layer cream cheese, meatballs, Red Gold Tomatoes and mozzarella cheese in a baking dish. Begin by smoothing cream cheese on the bottom of the dish. Then carefully place cooled meatballs over cream cheese.

Top meatballs with entire can of Red Gold tomatoes. The diced tomatoes are plump and packed full of flavor so you’re not going to need any additional spices or flavor. My husband was a little unsure about using tomatoes instead of sauce in this dip but he was pleasantly surprised with his first bite.

Cover with mozzarella cheese then bake for 20 minutes at 350°. There are no raw ingredients so you are simply warming everything up and melting the cheese on top. When you take the Italian Meatball Dip out of the oven, allow to cool then top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. While our dish was cooking I cut a loaf of baked bread to serve with the warm dip.

The Italian Meatball Dip is best served warm.

My daughters and husband loved the meatball dip right out of the oven.

[yumprint-recipe id=’6′]To enjoy with a football game, serve in themed snack cups with bread.

It might not be the same as being home or eating his grandfather’s homemade meatballs, but our Italian family football night was fantastic and definitely will be on repeat this season. Red Gold Tomatoes aren’t just family owned, they’re family grown and they are passionate about helping provide quality family time.

Do you have friends or family that would enjoy an Italian family football night too?

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