Cheesy Meatball Sliders
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Cheesy Meatball Sliders feature seasoned ground beef wrapped around wedges of Babybel cheese. Individual sandwiches are drizzled with barbecue sauce, then topped with smoked gouda to create delicious mini cheesy burgers!
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Why You'll Love These Sliders
Surprise Ingredient: A wedge of Babybel hides in the middle to create juicy meatballs packed with flavor.
Choose your own Sauce: Add your favorite bbq sauce and you've got a popular appetizer that tastes like a mini meatball sub.
Great for Parties: Cheesy meatball sliders are great to serve at parties, for weeknight dinners, and make the perfect game day snack.
If you love meatballs that are tender and juicy, this recipe is for you! When wrapped around wedges of melted Babybel cheese, there's nothing more irresistible. This is my recipe of choice for all types of parties because they're such a big hit with my guests!
What's the secret to making these cheesy meatballs? Use the back of a cookie scoop to create an indention in the meatballs so the cheese can easily stay in place. 😀
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need to make these cheesy stuffed meatballs. For quantities, see the printable recipe card below.
- ground beef - use 85% for best results
- panko bread crumbs - make a great binder
- egg - holds everything together
- onion - gives the meatballs great flavor
- sweet red pepper - a little goes a long way
- steak seasoning - the perfect spice
- barbecue sauce - the star of this recipe!
- Babybel cheese - melts perfectly in the middle
- smoked gouda cheese - adds a smoky flavor
- brioche slider buns - hold up well to the sauce
- butter - use it to brush the tops of the buns
- bagel seasoning - the final touch
How to Make Cheesy Meatball Sliders
1 - Chop onion and sweet red pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 - In a large bowl, mix ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, red pepper, onion, steak seasoning and bbq sauce together until combined.
Roll the Meatballs
1 - With a one inch scoop or your hands, roll ground beef mixture into small balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a sheet pan to make 24 meatballs.
2 - Use the back of a cookie scoop to make an indention in each meatball.
3 - Cut each Babybel cheese round into 4 wedges and insert one into the middle of every ball.
4 - Roll ground beef mixture around cheese to create a ball. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
Assemble the Sliders
1 - Cut slider rolls lengthwise down the middle and place the bottom buns into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Place meatballs on each roll.
2 - Drizzle meatballs with bbq sauce, then top with slices of smoked gouda cheese.
3 - Place top of the buns over cheese and brush with butter mixture. Finish with a sprinkle of bagel seasoning.
4 - Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for an additional 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQ
Babybel is a soft cheese that melts well in this recipe. Feel free to try another soft cheese like mozzarella or havarti as a substitution.
Yes! Cheesy meatballs can be frozen on a sheet pan or baking sheet in a single layer, then transferred to an airtight container. Frozen meatballs will last up to 3 months. Freeze before adding your favorite sauce. Thaw and use in the recipe as directed.
There are many types of slider buns out there and all of them can be used in this recipe. However, the thicker the bun, the better it will hold up to the finishing sauce. We used brioche slider buns because they're heartier.
Variations
Mix things up a little and make Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders instead. Just use marinara sauce instead of barbecue, and add Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the ground beef. Top with mozzarella slices or provolone. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Try this recipe for Crockpot Cranberry Meatballs that's both savory and sweet! They're made with lean ground turkey and whole cranberry sauce.
Or, make my Buffalo Meatballs in an air fryer that create the perfect party appetizer!
Top Tips
- Gather ingredients and equipment ahead of time to ensure faster prep.
- Babybel cheese might start oozing out of the meatballs during their first bake in the oven. If this happens, just scoop up the cheese and stuff it back into the meatballs.
- Be sure to cover the sliders tightly with aluminum foil before baking for the final 15 minutes. This helps the rolls stay soft and yummy.
More Fun Recipes!
Looking for more fun recipes for the super bowl, party snacks or an easy weeknight dinner? Try these favorites that serve a big crowd...
- Sheet Pan Italian Sliders
- Baja Chicken Tacos
- The Best Sausage Balls
- Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots
- Tailgate Meatballs
- Baked Feta Meatballs
Thanks for visiting Quiche My Grits! ❤️ I love making recipes for you! Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram!
Recipe Card
Cheesy Meatball Sliders
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- bowl and spoon
- scoop
- 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 85% ground beef
- 1 cup dried panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 2 mini sweet red peppers (chopped)
- 2 teaspoons steak seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 6 rounds of Babybel cheese (cut into 4 wedges per round)
- 8 slices smoked gouda cheese (cut into 3 sections per slice)
- 6 ounces barbecue sauce (for drizzling)
- 12 brioche slider buns
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon bagel seasoning
Instructions
GROUND BEEF MIXTURE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, sweet red peppers, steak seasoning and 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce together in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon or hands until blended together.
MEATBALLS
- Scoop 24 balls from the ground beef mixture onto a sheet pan using a 1 inch cookie scoop or your hands.
- Use the back of the cookie scoop to make an indention in each meatball.
- Unwrap Babybel cheese and cut each round into 4 wedges. Insert one wedge into every meatball.
- Roll ground beef mixture around cheese wedge to create a ball.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
SLIDER ASSEMBLY
- Slice slider rolls lengthwise down the middle and place the bottom halves into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
- Place 2 meatballs on each roll.
- Drizzle meatballs and bread with bbq sauce, then top with slices of smoked gouda cheese.
- Place the top rolls on the cheese and close the sandwiches. Brush the rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle with bagel seasoning.
- Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until cheese melts and meatballs are cooked throughout.
Notes
- Use your favorite barbecue sauce in this recipe.
- Gather ingredients and equipment ahead of time to ensure faster prep.
- Babybel cheese might start oozing out of the meatballs during their first bake in the oven. If this happens, just scoop up the cheese and place it on the rolls.
- Be sure to cover the sliders tightly with aluminum foil before baking for the final 15 minutes. This helps the rolls stay soft and yummy.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
About to try this recipe! The Koss All Purpose Sauce - can you describe the taste so I can use something equivalent? (Could you post the local Blue Ridge store where you purchase the KOSS)? Thanks!
Hi Gwen. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce is an equivalent match to Koss. Unfortunately, Koss sauce is no longer in business, but it was based in Virginia.
This looks so good! Can the beef be substituted for ground turkey?
Sure! You can sub any ground meat you like!
What are the EXACT ingredient MEASUREMENTS??? Like how many pounds, or cups, tablespoons or teaspoons of each ingredient???You’re leaving out the most important part of the recipe, lending it useless otherwise!
Hi Kathleen. All of the exact measurements are listed in the Recipe Card in detail at the bottom of the page. Nothing has been left out. Perhaps you were looking at the top of the page where I list the ingredients and discuss them? If you scroll down further you will see the exact measurements in the card. I've also included a Jump to Recipe button at the top of each post where you can see the quantities immediately.
I tried this recipe the other day and it turned out great. The cheese in the middle of the meatballs is a nice touch. My husband said these were the best meatballs he'd ever tasted.
Wow, Kara...that's awesome! The cheese in the middle is a nice surprise isn't it?
Oh wow. I must try this!