Meatball Parmesan Cups

I made these as an after-school snack today, but think about it: How fun would these be for a cocktail party? Or as a snack for watching the big game (or Netflix binging)?

I filled mini fillo dough shells with marinara sauce, seasoned meatballs, more sauce, and then two cheeses: mozzarella and parmesan cheese. These are one-bite wonders, I can promise you that.

Want to prep ahead? You can bake the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance. Keep them refrigerated and assemble the cups just before baking (keep the fillo shells frozen until ready to bake).

Meatball Parmesan Cups

1/2 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 package frozen mini fillo shells cups (1 package contains 15 shells)
1/3 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and shape the mixture into 15 meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Arrange the fillo shells on a baking pan. Spoon a little of the marinara sauce into the bottom of each shell (about 1 teaspoon of the sauce per shell). Top with the meatballs, a little more sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts.
Serve warm.

Makes 15 cups