Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Stuffed with Feta

I'm having a meatball moment. I seriously can't get enough of them - turkey, pork, chicken, on a sub, on top of a pizza, etc. You put a meatball in the description, and I'm sold.

This probably can be attributed to my greater weakness of bar food. And even more so, bar food with a twist. Nachos? Yum. Pork belly nachos with chipotle crema and mango salsa? Whoa. Needless to say, Super Bowl Sunday is my guilty pleasure* and favorite food holiday after Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

While I enjoy these deliciously dumpy treats, I can't in good conscious make something that combines mayo, sour cream, cream cheese and/or any type of creamed soup. So this year I opted for the lighter, healthier and more impressive version of the chicken wing inspired by The Washingtonian's Healthy Super Bowl Recipes. 

Biggest hits of the night.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Stuffed with Feta
Makes about 45 bite-sized meatball

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chicken breast
1/2 finely chopped small red onion
4 cloves minced garlic
2 egg whites
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons powdered ranch dip mix
1 pack low-fat feta cheese (or better yet, a block cut into small cubes)
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups Frank's RedHot Sauce

Celery sticks and ranch/blue cheese dressing for serving.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together red onion, garlic, egg white, bread crumbs, and ranch dip mix in a large bowl.

Add ground chicken and mix with hands until just combined (mess with it too much and your meatballs will be tough). Roll 20-22 small meatballs. Press a cube of feta into the center of each ball, then close mixture around cheese to seal.

Place meatballs onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

While meatballs are baking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Buffalo sauce and stir to combine. Add cooked meatballs to skillet and use a spoon to coat in sauce. Place a lid on top and turn heat to low to keep warm until serving.

[Recipe adapted from The Washingtonian] 

Working on my photo skills so bear with me.

*Not that I actually watch the game. My routine is usually comprised of eating my way through the first half, avidly watching the halftime show and passing out on the couch right after.