Jamie Oliver's Kid-Friendly Messy Meatball Buns Are 'Super Yummy & Delicious' According to Fans

When you have a house of kids running around and need to get them fed before bed, the last thing you want to deal with is an elaborate, time-consuming dinner recipe. If that sounds familiar, then you’ll want to check out Jamie Oliver’s recipes . He’s always sharing meals that are simple to make, time efficient, and family friendly. Take, for instance, the messy meatball buns recipe he recently shared on Instagram. The recipe comes from his cookbook 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food , and not only does it only take, yes, five ingredients to make, but it will also have dinner on the table in just 20 minutes.

The Pioneer Woman's Pull-Apart Queso Sliders Are the Family Dinner Hit You've Been Waiting For

When Oliver says this meal is kid-friendly, he means it in two ways. For one, kids will love eating these saucy, savory meatball bun sandwiches, and for two, the recipe is easy enough that you can recruit the kids for help in the kitchen.

5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food by Jamie Oliver

Because the ingredients list is short, Oliver uses a store-bought condiment to layer flavor in the dish: pesto (Kirkland Signature Pesto is a Costco cult-favorite for a reason , if you’re looking for a brand to try). Not only is the pesto slathered on the toasted buns before the buns are served, but a big dollop of the garlicky basil spread is added to the ground beef before the meatballs are formed and cooked. That saves you the trouble of taking out all of your favorite seasonings or having to chop garlic and herbs.

Once the pesto meatballs are formed (the kids can help you roll them up), they’re browned in a skillet. Add a can of whole tomatoes you’ve chopped or torn up, or a can of diced tomatoes, and a little splash of water (Oliver uses the brine from the fresh mozzarella called for later in the recipe). Once the sauce is hot and slightly reduced and the meatballs are cooked through, Oliver tops them with slices of fresh mozzarella, cooking until the cheese is gooey and melted.

Place a saucy, cheese-topped meatball on each pesto-spread bun, then serve with extra sauce for dipping. They’re like mini meatball subs, and though the recipe is totally kid-friendly, we can see a group of adults devouring these sliders in minutes. Not a fan of meatballs, but like the simplicity of Jamie Oliver’s Messy Meatball Buns ? Check out The Pioneer Woman’s pull-apart queso sliders , another quick and easy weeknight meal the whole family will love.

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