Meatball Lady Bugs

Prep Time:  20 minutes   |    Cook Time:  25 minutes   |    Total Time:  45 minutes   |    Servings:  16 Lady Bugs

Ingredients:

• 1 pound  Simply Nature  Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef
• 1 teaspoon  Stonemill  Iodized Salt
• ½ teaspoon  Stonemill  Ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon  Stonemill  Italian Seasoning
• 1  Goldhen  Large Egg
• ¼ cup  Simply Nature  Organic Old Fashioned Oats
• 8 Roma tomatoes, seeded and halved or 4 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
• 1 stick Happy Farms  Light String Cheese, diced into 32 pieces
• 20  Tuscan Garden  Large Pitted Ripe Olives, sliced into 4 slices
• ¼ cup  Little Salad Bar  Flat Leaf Spinach
• 4  Tuscan Garden  Large Pitted Ripe Olives, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, egg and oats. Mix until well combined. Form into 16 equal sized balls. Place on baking sheet and bake until internal temperature reaches 165°, approximately 22-25 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly.
3. For the shells: Cut a slit down the center of the rounded portion of tomato or bell pepper, reserve.
4. For the eyes: Place one piece of diced string cheese in the center of 32 olive slices. Gently pat until cheese fills hole in center of olive.
5. To assemble: Place a small amount of spinach on plate, place one meatball on top of spinach. Place one tomato or bell pepper "shell" on top of meatball, covering only half. Place two cheese stuffed olives slices on front half of meatball. Cut remaining olive slices in half and place along edges of meatball to resemble legs. Note: If eyes will not stick, use small dots of ketchup or mayonnaise on eyes before placing them on meatball. Sprinkle minced olives over shell.

TIP: For an easy dipping sauce, combine marinara sauce and your choice of vegetables in a blender. Blend until smooth and heat thoroughly.

Recipe Courtesy of ALDI Test Kitchen