Puff Pastry Meatball Marinara Bites
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Made with just 5 ingredients, these puff pastry meatball marinara bites are fluffy and cheesy goodness and the perfect appetizer.
Why You’ll Love Puff Pastry Meatball Marinara Bites:
Puff pastry meatball marinara bites are a delightful twist on a classic comfort food favorite. These delectable morsels combine the flaky, buttery goodness of puff pastry with savory meatballs and rich marinara sauce. The puff pastry adds a delightful textural contrast to the tender meatballs, providing a crispy, golden-brown exterior that complements the saucy, meaty filling perfectly. Each bite is a delightful explosion of flavors and textures, making them an ideal appetizer or party snack that will surely please a crowd.
The beauty of puff pastry meatball marinara bites lies in their versatility. They can be served as a mouthwatering appetizer at cocktail parties, game day gatherings, or as a quick and easy weeknight dinner option. The combination of juicy meatballs, zesty marinara sauce, and the irresistible flakiness of puff pastry creates a harmonious and indulgent experience that’s sure to leave your taste buds craving for more. Whether enjoyed as a snack or part of a meal, these bites are a delicious and convenient way to savor the classic flavors of meatball marinara in a delightful bite-sized form.
Check out some other mouthwatering appetizers like Southern Deviled Eggs Recipe, Fried Dill Pickles, Comeback Sauce, Southern-Style BBQ Air Fryer Wings, Little Smokies Pigs In A Blanket, and Cheeseburger Dip.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Puff Pastry Meatball Marinara Bites:
Recipe Ingredients:
- Spaghetti Sauce (I used garlic and it was wonderful)
- Meatballs (my homemade recipe) or store bought frozen ones that have been precooked)
- Mozzarella cheese
- 1-2 puff pastry sheets
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Puff Pastry Meatball Marinara Bites:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thaw puff pastry (1 sheet for 12, 2 sheets for 24). Unroll the puff pastry on a floured surface to the size of a muffin pan.
Place the muffin pan on top of the dough and press down, creating little indentations.
The indentations should look like this.
Use the indents to guide your cutting of 12 squares, one for each of the 12 muffin cups.
Spray the muffin pan with non stick spray and place a dough square in each muffin well, pressing down to the sides.
**If you’re looking to level-up your muffin tin game, you HAVE to try this muffin tin by Caraway! It’s our favorite!!
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.
Once removed, use a wooden spoon and immediately press down the center to make room for the meatball.
Fill each cup with 1/2 tablespoon spaghetti sauce…
…1 cooked meatball…
***If you use frozen precooked meatballs, you can simply cook them in the microwave or oven before doing this part.***
…and top with mozzarella cheese.
Return bites to oven and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve warm!
Ingredients
- 1-2 sheets Puff Pastry sheets
- 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
- 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
- 12-24 Meatballs frozen, precooked. Either store bought or homemade - you'll need 1 meatball for every two bites
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Thaw out 1 sheet for 12, or 2 sheets for 24 meatball puff things. Unroll it out on a floured surface to the size of a muffin pan. Place the muffin pan on top of the dough and press down, creating little indentations. Use the indents to guide your cutting of 12 squares for the cups.
- Spray the muffin pan with non stick spray and place a dough square in each muffin well, pressing down to the sides. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Once removed, use a wooden spoon and immediately press down the center to make room for the meatball. Fill each cup with 1/2 tablespoon spaghetti sauce, 1 cooked meatball, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
I love the idea of doing these with sausage balls too! My MIL doesn’t eat meat, but she eats seafood so these as a tuna melt would be great! I’m always on the lookout for things she can eat when they come visit for several weeks during Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to try these..now for the pastry shell hunt!
Hi April!
I just thought to mention to you, perhaps look for the pastry shells on the internet, pulling up different stores near to you. Or maybe even go to Pepperidge Farm to ck where it is stocked. I have saved gas and time tracking things down, sometimes, that I had a hard time finding. Good luck from another Southern gal in a Northern state.
Hey Terri! If I can’t find them at my local grocery (I have to go this weekend..boo, hiss!) I’ll give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion! I have several new items on my list to look for including caramel macchiato coffee creamer and pumpkin pie yogurt. I guess I’m working on gaining extra holiday pounds early! LOL
You’re welcome. Aw, too bad the items you are seeking are refrigerated or else I could look for you and mail them to you. I hear ‘a on holiday pounds …I just made SP’s Streusel Topped Pumpkin Spice muffins and ate one for lunch. tee hee
Maybe if you tell what town you live in, another SP friend in your town can tell you where to find something you are searching for. ~fingers crossed~
Terri, that’s so nice of you to offer! I have my mom mail me Duke’s mayo all the way from GA or pick it up when we’re visiting. LOL
I have 3 grocery stores near me and certainly one of them carries these. If not the mini then maybe the larger ones and I could serve them as an entree’ with dinner one night.
Hey April…I’m in CT also!!! I’ll keep my eyes open and post back here if I find any of the items you are looking for!!
Thanks so much Tina!! I’ll also post back if I find them!
I just LOVE it when we all stick together to help each other out. What a great place to visit, that Southern Plate.
Tina, here are 2 gold stars to you for jumping in there for April. YIPPEEE SKIPPPEE
Ok, so I found the full size shells, but not the mini. I’m ok with that since I can make an entree out of that! Thanks y’all! 🙂
Hi April..I’m still on the hunt! Been “under the weather” this week and am taking it slow! And Terri…can’t get those muffins off my mind!!!:)
What a neat idea! I will have try these one day when we have company over 🙂
Love it!! My local supermarket has stopped carrying the mini puff pastry shells.:( I did stock up when I saw “the writing on the wall”so I can’t wait to try your recipe.Thanks…
These look like great little bites! I hadn’t thought of using the shells. Gotta try those 🙂
Such a cute idea!! They look good too!
Thank you !!
and WOW, the quote you submitted on the “Give A Penny” Page today really made me stop and think.
Wow.
Thank you so much for that!
Gratefully,
Christy
https://www.southernplate.com/2009/04/give-a-penny-get-a-penny.html
Yummmy…but do the bottoms get soggy? I’m looking for lots of little bites for the THREE parties that somehow we are already hosting during December (not to mention Thanksgiving dinner, too!)–how far ahead could you make them? Keep them warm in a chafing dish in a single layer during the party or do you think these are better suited for a “heat and eat”— gather around the kitchen as I magically pull appetizer after appetizer out of the oven event!Those are our usual Friday night dinners with friends!
Hey Nancy!
Mine didn’t have time to get soggy, lol. However, if you want to make them ahead of time (I always love to do that myself) you could line the bottom with just a sprinkling of cheese before putting your marinara sauce in to add a little insurance by creating a little barrier between the sauce and the pastry. I don’t think they’d get soggy but thats what I’d do to make sure!
You can DEFINITELY make the puff pastry a few hours ahead of time and just store like you would bread to keep it fresh, then microwave the meatballs and assemble the entire whooha in a matter of minutes. They are so yummy…loved the garlic flavored sauce!
Gosh those look really tasty. I just got up and am having coffee and I could even eat a few of those for breakfast! Speaking of that it makes my mind wander to turning that into a breakfast bite. Maybe a dab of scrambled egg with bacon or sausage bits. Ham and cheese? Seems like this could start a while new trend of puff pastry. Hope everyone is looking forward to a great autumn weekend.
Or you could make sausage balls and top it with a little cheddar cheese for breakfast! Why do we only make sausage balls during the holidays? I love those things!
I’m with y’all, I love the idea of these as a breakfast dish. Toss me some eggs and sausage and I’m a happy gal!
They seem so “fussy” but are easier to deal with than biscuits!
This post looks easy breezy, just in time for Halloween gatherings and upcoming Thanksgiving too. Mix it up using Elaine & Lisa ideas, the SP Chicken salad recipe, even tuna salad and it could become like an appetizer “buffet”. Fall is here, let’s have some parties!