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Quick Summary
In This Recipe
These meatball-stuffed garlic knots are a game-day snack with everything you want in one bite: tender herb-and-cheese meatballs, mozzarella, homemade marinara, store-bought pizza dough, and a generous finish of garlic butter and Parmesan. Make the...
Category: Appetizers, Game Day, Recipes | By: Matt Price, Mr. Make It Happen
These meatball-stuffed garlic knots are a game-day snack with everything you want in one bite: tender herb-and-cheese meatballs, mozzarella, homemade marinara, store-bought pizza dough, and a generous finish of garlic butter and Parmesan. Make the meatballs and sauce first, then wrap, bake, and serve with extra marinara for dipping.
Why you’ll love these meatball-stuffed garlic knots
- Store-bought pizza dough keeps the assembly approachable.
- Searing the meatballs first builds flavor before they finish cooking.
- Mozzarella and marinara turn each knot into a self-contained meatball sandwich.
- Garlic butter and Parmesan give the baked dough a savory finish.
Ingredients you’ll need
For the meatballs: Use eight roughly 2-ounce meatballs from my Garlic and Herb Meatballs recipe, but skip its BBQ glaze. That recipe makes extra meatballs; save the rest for another meal.
For the marinara: One onion, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, all-purpose seasoning, and a little sugar to balance the acidity.
For assembly: One package of store-bought pizza dough, 1½ cups shredded mozzarella, garlic butter, and Parmesan. For the butter, combine 1 stick of butter with 1 head roasted garlic (or 1 tablespoon fresh garlic), 2 tablespoons parsley, buttery garlic pepper seasoning, and all-purpose seasoning to taste. Keep extra marinara warm for dipping.
How to make meatball-stuffed garlic knots
Prepare the meatballs. Follow my linked garlic-and-herb meatball recipe, omitting its BBQ glaze. Shape eight meatballs at roughly 2 ounces each for these knots.
Sear and finish cooking. Sear the meatballs in a hot pan until browned on the outside, then transfer them to the oven and cook through. Set them aside while you make the sauce.
Make the marinara. Cook the onion, then add tomato paste and let it deepen in color. Stir in crushed tomatoes, seasoning, and a small amount of sugar. Simmer, then blend until smooth. Toss the cooked meatballs in enough sauce to coat them.
Wrap the knots. Cut the package of pizza dough into eight even squares. Divide 1½ cups mozzarella among them, adding some to each square, then a sauced meatball. Bring the dough edges together and pinch firmly so the filling is sealed inside. Arrange seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet.
Bake and finish. Bake at 400°F until the dough is puffed and golden. Melt 1 stick of butter with 1 head roasted garlic (or 1 tablespoon fresh garlic), 2 tablespoons parsley, buttery garlic pepper seasoning, and all-purpose seasoning to taste. Brush the hot knots with this garlic butter, shower with Parmesan, and serve with more warm marinara.
Tips for stuffing and sealing
- Let the meatballs cool slightly before wrapping so the dough stays easy to handle.
- Use only enough marinara to coat each meatball; too much sauce can make the seam hard to seal.
- Pinch the dough closed and place the seam underneath before baking.
- Brush with garlic butter after baking so the herbs and garlic stay fragrant.
More game-day food
Round out the spread with bacon cheeseburger egg rolls or crispy beef tacos.
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Meatball-Stuffed Garlic Knots with Marinara
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 8 cooked garlic-and-herb meatballs about 2 oz each; use the linked meatball recipe without its BBQ glaze
Marinara
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- Sugar to taste
- All-purpose seasoning to taste
Assembly
- 1 package store-bought pizza dough
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
- Parmesan cheese for finishing
Garlic Butter
- 1 stick butter
- 1 head roasted garlic or use 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Buttery garlic pepper seasoning to taste
- All-purpose seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Prepare eight roughly 2-ounce meatballs from my Garlic and Herb Meatballs recipe, omitting its BBQ glaze. Sear until browned, then finish in a 400°F oven until cooked through. Reserve extra meatballs for another meal.
- Cook the diced onion until softened. Add tomato paste and cook briefly. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, a little sugar and all-purpose seasoning to taste. Simmer, then blend until smooth. Lightly coat the cooked meatballs with marinara and reserve the rest for dipping.
- Cut the pizza dough into eight even pieces. Add some of the 1.5 cups mozzarella and one sauced meatball to each piece. Pull the dough around the filling and pinch the seams closed. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 400°F until the dough is puffed and golden and the filling is hot.
- Melt the butter. Stir in the roasted garlic (or fresh garlic), parsley, buttery garlic pepper seasoning and all-purpose seasoning. Brush the warm knots with garlic butter, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve with remaining marinara.
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