Arroz con Pollo Meatballs with Sofrito Marinara Sauce with Baked Plantains

"I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Cheese and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest, I was not compensated for my time."

This recipe is a twist for a favorite popular Spanish dish called "Arroz con Pollo" (Spanish Rice & Chicken)  I love making this traditional dish and thought it would be tasty to create a family friendly recipe using ground chicken and cheese, which in this case is the Vermont Sharp cheddar cheese from Cabot.

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Instead of bread crumbs to bind the meatballs, cooked brown rice is used. The delicious sofrito marinara sauce comes together quickly but is bursting with flavor .Another flavorful and economical ingredient I added is "azafran" It is a budget saffron that brings delicious flavor also to this dish that you can easily find at a international or Caribbean grocery store for about $2 or less.  This recipe yields a good amount of sauce useful for dipping with the baked plantains. Enjoy!​

Ingredients:

(Meatballs)
1 pound of ground chicken
2 tablespoons of water
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup of cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of Spanish smoked paprika
4 ounces of Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

(Sofrito Marinara Sauce)

1 small green bell pepper
3 large cloves of garlic
1 small red onion
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon of Spanish smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of azafran (optional)

(Baked Plantains)
4 green plantains, peeled and sliced thick on the diagonal
2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon of granulated garlic powder

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350F. 

To make the meatballs, in a medium sized bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except the cheese and gently combine using your hands. Using your thumb, place a few cubes into each meatball and then gently pull the ground meat over the cheese. Continue this process until you have used all the cheese and completed 12 meatballs.

Place the prepared meatballs onto a sheet pan and cook for 12-15 minutes until juices run clear.
While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sofrito marinara sauce. 

Make the sofrito by combining the green pepper, garlic, onion and cilantro into a blender until slightly smooth. Use a little water as necessary to bring it to a paste. Set aside.

Using a saute pan, bring to medium heat and add the olive oil. Swirl the pan to coat. Add the prepared sofrito and cook until fragrant which should take a few minutes.

Add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and, smoked paprika and azafran, if using. Bring to a slight simmer and continue to bring the flavors together for 10 minutes.

After the sauce has cooked for 10 minutes. Add the baked meatballs and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. 

Lastly, while the sauce and meatballs are cooking, prepare the baked plantains by tossing with the olive oil, garlic powder and salt and place into a 400F oven until browned. Should take 8-10 minutes.
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For each serving, place 3 meatballs onto a plate along with a generous amount of the sauce. Use the extra sauce to be served with the baked plantains. Serve.