SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 15 minutes (not including
time to make Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce
and Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara Sauce)
ACTIVE TIME: 55 minutes
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms (or button
mushrooms), diced
One 15-ounce can red beans, rinsed and
drained
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup vegan panko bread crumbs (glutenfree if necessary), plus more if needed
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or use more
bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons liquid aminos (use coconut
aminos to be soy-free)
1½ teaspoons dried basil
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce, Melty
Variation (see Tip)
12 ounces spaghetti or other pasta (glutenfree if necessary), optional
4 cups Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara
Sauce (or store-bought vegan marinara
sauce)
1. Heat the olive oil in a large shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and
mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are browned and tender and the onions are translucent.
Remove from the heat. Transfer to a food processor along with the beans and parsley and pulse until
combined and the mixture is mostly uniform, but still a bit chunky.
2. Transfer to a large bowl along with the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, basil, oregano,
salt, and pepper. Stir with a spoon or use your hands to make sure the mixture is thoroughly combined. It
should stick together when squeezed. If it’s still too wet, add more bread crumbs.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
4. Scoop up 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Use your finger to press a little hole in the
middle and shape the mixture into a tiny “bowl.” Scoop ½ to ¾ teaspoon of the cheese sauce into the
“bowl.” Take another tablespoon of the meatball mixture, shape it into a ball, then slightly flatten it into a
“dome.” Place the dome on top of the meatball bowl, then use your fingers to seal the edges and shape it
again into a ball. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining mixture.
Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs
