Italian Meatball & Garlic Bread Sliders with Hi-Fi Hops Tuner

We love the comforting and classic feeling of eating spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, but it’s not the most portable of foods. Because we think the essence of this Italian classic should be enjoyed even if you don’t have a fork and knife, we created these Italian meatball & garlic bread sliders! Why not up the comfort level even further by pairing these delicious sliders with an ice cold Hi-Fi Hops Tuner from Lagunitas and ABX?

With 5mg CBD and 5mg THC, Tuner is a delightful 1:1 ratio that will leave you feeling calm and level headed. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the big game than by stuffing our faces with Italian meatball and garlic bread sliders and absorbing the delightful, hoppy flavor of ABX Hi-Fi Tuner!

This recipe is perfect for hosting because we conveniently use store-bought pasta sauce that we jazz up with all the yummy juices from browning our meatballs. The result is a delicious red sauce with flavorful bits of beef that develop the taste even more! If you are looking to simplify this recipe even further, feel free to purchase slider buns instead of making garlic bread crostini. The meatballs will still be the star of the show!

Italian Meatball & Garlic Bread Sliders with ABX and Lagunitas Hi-Fi Hops Tuner

Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ cup breadcrumbs or ground cracker crumbs
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 25-oz jar pasta sauce
• Mozzarella cheese

For the garlic bread crostini

• 1 baguette
• ½ cup salted butter or vegan butter, melted
• 2 tbsp garlic paste or minced garlic
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven broiler to low and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley in a bowl.

2. Form meatball mixture into balls.

3. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sear meatballs for 2-3 minutes on both sides, or until golden brown.

4. Remove meatballs from the pan. Pour pasta sauce in and stir together.

5. Add meatballs back to the pan. Cover with sauce and let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes, until sauce is warmed and meatballs are cooked though.

6. While meatballs are cooking, slice baguette into thin slices.

7. Combine melted butter, garlic, and parsley in a bowl.

8. Place baguette slices onto a baking sheet. Brush with butter mixture on both sides. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Flip slices over and bake for another 2-3 minutes.

9. Assemble your sliders by spooning some sauce onto your crostini. Then add meatball, mozzarella cheese, and another garlic bread crostini. We used a homemade vegan mozzarella, which was already a melted consistency. To make these with store bought mozzarella, place your crostinis back into the broiler for another minute or so before putting the top crostini on your slider. Enjoy!