Spaghetti w/ Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs...and "My First Giveaway"

This evening I decided to make "Spaghetti w/ Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs" for dinner.  I had some ground chicken breast in the fridge that needed to be used as well as some leftover fresh mozzarella cheese.  I also had extra julienned squash and zucchini left that I made last night with my little julienne peeler, so all I needed to do was saute it in a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes, just until al dente...and "voila"...I had fresh wheat free pasta in just minutes!  The meatballs were super simple to make and they turned out tender and moist. Since I was using ground chicken breast, which is extremely lean, I added some good fat in the form of eggs and olive oil, as well as seasonings to make sure they were moist and flavorful.  I really love how the melted fresh mozzarella cheese oozes out of each meatball when you cut into it. I topped my spaghetti and meatballs with some shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and chopped fresh Italian parsley. My simple stuffed meatball recipe is posted below as well as several photos that I snapped.  Enjoy!

It's My First Giveaway!!!

The kind folks at Swerve recently contacted me and are allowing me to offer Gourmet Girl Cooks' followers a chance to win an exciting "Celebration to Summer's End Giveaway"!  One lucky follower will win a:  Weber 22.5” Silver One-Touch, Kettle Grill AND a Three-Pack of Swerve (see below). As most of you that follow me already know, I have been using Swerve for almost a year now and it is my favorite "zero calorie" natural sweetener to bake with. It tastes great and measures cup-for-cup just like sugar, which makes it super easy to substitute in recipes...no calculations involved! It contains no artificial ingredients and comes in both granular and confectioners (powdered) versions. With the upcoming Labor Day weekend ahead, I will be posting some delicious "end of summer" recipes using Swerve...so stay tuned!  Ready, set....GO!  Begin entering now!  P.S.-- if you are already a Swerve lover like I am, and your supply is getting low...Swerve is currently running a special through Tuesday, September 3rd, for $9.99 each (for a 16-oz bag) or you can grab a 6-pack of Swerve for $49.98 ($8.33/each + free shipping). You can click here to grab this special ---> Swerve

HOW TO ENTER:
The winning contestant will be chosen at random (must be a U.S. resident).  To enter a chance to win, all you need to do is: Leave a comment here on my blog and include the words "Swerve BBQ Contest" (1 entry per person per day).  Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT.  The winner will have 24 hours after being announced to contact Gourmet Girl Cooks (by email at GourmetGirlCooksBlog @ gmail.com) with their shipping address. If no response is received in 24 hours, a new winner will be selected.

*The product provided in this giveaway is contributed by and will be sent directly to the winner by Swerve.

Each meatball oozes melted fresh mozzarella cheese when cut into...

One of my favorite brands of jarred sauce...

This is what I mean when I say to use a "good jarred sauce" without wheat or added sugar...it's important to read labels on any and all packaged foods because manufacturers like to sneak wheat and sugar into almost everything!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken breast (can substitute ground beef, turkey or regular ground chicken)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Dash or two ground cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto (I used Mezzetta's)
4 small slices fresh mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 jar of your favorite "good spaghetti/pasta sauce" (I used DelGrosso's with no wheat or added sugar)
Shredded Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano, for topping (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9 x 13" baking pan with foil (for easy clean up) and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken (or beef), olive oil, egg, salt, garlic and onion powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper and sun dried tomato pesto until mixed well; set aside.  Cut pieces of mozzarella cheese and press together, rolling into 8 large "grape-sized" balls (or enough for the number of meatballs you make).  Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions. Using your hands, lightly dampened with water, form meatballs, pressing a ball-shaped piece of mozzarella into the center of each, sealing well so cheese doesn't ooze out while baking. Place meatballs, spaced about an inch apart in baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Pour spaghetti sauce into a medium saucepan over medium heat; add meatballs, submerging in sauce; cover and simmer about 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to mingle. Serve meatballs and sauce over yellow squash or zucchini pasta. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.