This 4-Ingredient Savory Appetizer Starts With A Bag Of Frozen Meatballs

Whether you're planning a potluck or just want an easy midnight snack, many delicious appetizers make use of convenient ingredients like frozen meatballs. There's one tasty, easy recipe that only calls for four ingredients: frozen meatballs, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pizza dough, all combined in savory stuffed "bombs." We can assure you, these meatball bites are well worth trying.

In order to make this dish, you can use a cupcake tray or a cutting board. Either a mini or full-size tray will work, depending on the desired ratio of dough to filling. Line your tray or cutting board with pizza dough. If you don't have the time to make this foolproof homemade pizza dough recipe, you can grab a premade option instead. Then carefully press the meatballs into each section. You can use meatballs directly from the freezer, or heat them through first. The marinara sauce goes on top, followed by your cheese of choice. Lay another layer of pizza dough to cover your toppings.

Use a pizza cutter to slice between the segments. Once sectioned into squares, make sure to seal each bite by pinching the dough at the top to prevent your toppings from seeping out during the bake. For those using a cupcake tray, you can bake the bombs in each individual section of the tray. And if you've used a cutting board, place your bombs onto a baking sheet after closing. Pop them into an oven heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes until cooked through, and enjoy.

While the combination of meatballs baked with marinara sauce is a perfect way to enjoy this dish, you can further elevate this recipe with a few sauce swaps, additions, and upgrades. Before you head to the store, definitely note these frozen meatball brands ranked worst to best. Try replacing your standard red sauce for pesto or a creamy cheese sauce. You could even go a completely different route and use a spicy sauce like Buffalo, or Nashville hot, both of which would serve as a nice complement to the other base components in this appetizer. 

Though these meatball bombs are often served alongside a classic marinara dipping sauce, you could also enjoy with garlic butter, pesto butter, or Alfredo sauce. If you go the spicy sauce route, a blue cheese dip would be a phenomenal addition. You could also give your meatball bites an egg wash to give them a golden-brown surface. 

While the original recipe is made with just four ingredients, you can include optional additions to increase tastiness, like jalapeños mixed into the dough. Try sprinkling a blend of dried Italian herbs and red pepper flakes overtop. As for fresh herbs, finely chopped parsley would blend nicely into the mixture, and serve as a perfect garnish. While there's already plenty of cheese inside, you could up the ante by adding fresh Parmesan to crisp up in the oven. And if you've got a little extra spending money, try Rao's frozen meatballs, which are worth the splurge every time.