Back a few weeks ago my neighbor brought me a small, wilted kale plant. It looked scrawny, but I planted it right away and tended it carefully. Within a week or two it had grown dramatically—already several times its original size. The plant thrived in its new pot, though it proved very sensitive to the sun.

I had to move it on and off the deck every day; just thirty minutes in partial sun left it limp. I tried to harden it off gradually, but it never warmed to direct sun. So I pampered it instead, and it rewarded me by flourishing.

In only about a month the little pot produced a surprisingly large plant. I began harvesting leaves and this thriving kale inspired the recipe featured here.

My husband isn’t a big fan of kale, but I use it whenever I can—from mac and cheese to swapping it for iceberg on burgers. It’s versatile, and this time it became a cozy wrapper for homemade, cheese-stuffed meatballs.

I decided to stuff the meatballs with fresh mozzarella before baking. Remember to season them with pepper before they go into the oven.

The aroma while they baked was wonderful, and my husband was already eager to taste them. Some cheese may escape during baking—just scoop it back on top of the meatballs before wrapping them in kale.

When the kale was big enough, I harvested several beautiful flat-edged leaves—different from the frilly kale usually found at the store and perfect for wrapping.

I trimmed the thick stem end from each leaf and wrapped each meatball like a small parcel, similar to how you would wrap stuffed cabbage.

I spread a little spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, nestled the kale-wrapped meatballs seam-side down, spooned more sauce over them, and sprinkled a generous blend of mozzarella and provolone on top. A final touch of garlic salt, Italian seasoning and oregano completed the dish.

I baked the dish until the cheese melted and just began to brown. The kale finished slightly crisp-tender, not mushy like cooked spinach, and it made a lovely presentation on the table.

We served ours with pasta tossed in the extra sauce, a side salad and garlic bread, but these meatballs also work over rice, noodles, risotto or as an appetizer. The leftover sauce is perfect for tossing with pasta or freezing for later.

These turned out delicious, and I look forward to using leaves from my ever-growing kale plant in other dishes. I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we did.

Yield: 4 servings

Mozzarella-Stuffed Kale-Wrapped Meatballs

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

1/2 lb. lean ground beef, broken up well
1/2 lb. mild or sweet ground Italian sausage, broken up well
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 1/2 tsp. dried minced onions
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 thick slices fresh mozzarella

Rest of Ingredients:

12 large fresh flat-edged kale leaves
One jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella & provolone blend
Pinch each of Italian seasoning, dried oregano and garlic salt

Instructions

For meatballs: In a large bowl mix all meatball ingredients well with your hands. Pat into a mound, divide into fourths, and form three small thick patties from each section to total 12.

Tear each mozzarella slice into quarters. Place two pieces into the center of a patty and form meat around the cheese, sealing well. Repeat to make 12 meatballs.

Place meatballs on a sprayed or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove and scrape away any fat; place meatballs on a plate and cover. If cheese leaks, gather the excess and place it back on the meatballs.

Rinse kale leaves and trim the thick stem end. Spray a 13×9 (or similar) pan and spread a thin layer of sauce (about 1/4 cup) on the bottom.

Wrap each meatball with a kale leaf and place seam-side down in the pan.

Spoon about 1 cup sauce over the kale-wrapped meatballs. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and finish with a light dusting of Italian seasoning, oregano and garlic salt.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned if desired.

Serve hot.

Notes

These meatballs are excellent served with pasta, rice, noodles or risotto. Leftover sauce can be tossed with hot pasta or frozen. They also work well as an appetizer.