bacon and cheese-stuffed chicken meatball heroes

 
My friend Melissa made these for our dinner swap tonight. It was absolutely divine. I've never met a meatball I didn't like but I've fallen in love with this one. Remember back in first grade if you said you loved something someone would tell you to marry it? Well, I would gladly marry this sandwich. Bacon, chicken, Parmesan cheese, cheddar... YUM! I'm glad you weren't at the dinner table because I ate this sandwich like I haven't eaten in months. My kids were oohing and aahing and couldn't get enough. They take after their mother.

bacon and cheese-stuffed chicken meatball heroes (my friend Melissa in PA got this one from Rachael Ray)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus 1 tablespoons for the greens
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound ground all-white meat chicken
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup (a couple of generous handfuls) bread crumbs
1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4 ounce) piece cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups arugula roughly chopped or 1/4 head lettuce, shredded
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 sub rolls, split in half but not all the way through

Preheat oven to 425. Heat a medium-size, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove bacon from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. Place the ground chicken in a medium-size mixing bowl and add the egg, milk, bread crumbs, grated cheese, parsley and cooked bacon. Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together and roll into 12 medium-size meatballs, each about 2 inches round. Place a piece of cheddar cheese into the center of each meatball and maneuver the meat around the cheese to seal it in the middle. Place the skillet you cooked the bacon in back on the burner over the medium-high heat and add the remaining EVOO. The oil should generously coat the bottom of the pan. Place the meatballs in the pan and cook about 5-6 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. While the meatballs are browning, place the split sub rolls on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler for about 30 seconds to a minute. Make sure you don't burn them! In a bowl, combine the chopped arugula and tomatoes, squeeze the juice of half a lemon and drizzle a little EVOO over the greens. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. To serve, assemble 3 meatballs per sub and top with the arugula tomato mixture.

What I have to say- exceptional sandwich. When I made mine the for the first time I used Hot Habanero cheese and it was sooooo good and spicy. Lately I've been baking my meatballs instead of frying them to cut back on fat/oil and I've been pleased with the results.