Baked Cheesy American Meatballs

In a medium bowl, combine the beef mince, egg, All-American spice blend, the salt and fine breadcrumbs (see ingredients list). Season with pepper and mix well to combine. Using damp hands, shape a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into a meatball. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture. You should get 4-6 meatballs per person. In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a medium baking dish and set aside.

TIP: The meatballs will finish cooking in step 3! TIP: If your pan is getting crowded, cook in batches for the best results!

Return the frying pan to a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Add the onion and carrot and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 the garlic and the tomato paste (see ingredients list) and cook until darkened and fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, BBQ sauce, beef stock and 1/2 the butter. Bring to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper, 2-3 minutes. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs in the baking dish and sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, slice the ciabatta in half lengthways, then slice each half across the diagonal. In a small bowl, add the remaining butter and garlic and microwave in 10 second bursts or until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the garlic butter over the cut side of the ciabatta pieces and place directly on a wire rack in the oven. Bake until golden, 5 minutes.

While the garlic bread is baking, wash the frying pan and return to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the broccoli and a splash of water and cook, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

TIP: Add a dash of water to the pan to help speed up the cooking process.