Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls with Tomato Basil Sauce & Mashed Cheese Potatoes with Broccolini

My husband and I were lying in bed last Saturday morning watching the Food Network (lying in bed watching TV with my honey on a Saturday is very rare). We were watching Rachael Ray and she was making what she calls an express lane meal and I must say we fell in love with it immediately. So much so that we made it for dinner the next night, it was fabulous.

9-item grocery list:

2 Lbs. baby Yukon gold potatoes
1 tub Bocconcini, bite size fresh mozzarella in marinade
2 1/2 Lbs. Chicken Sausage (I used 1 ½ lbs. Basil & 1 lbs. Sweet Italian)
2 Lbs. Broccolini
2 Tbs. Chopped Garlic
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Grated Pecorino Romano
1/2 Cup Pesto
3 Tbs. Sour Cream

On hand:

Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, 4 to 5 tablespoons total
Salt and freshly ground black pepper & Garlic powder


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Quarter baby potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then salt water and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
While potatoes come up to a boil, place a nonstick baking sheet alongside a mixing bowl. Remove 15 pieces of bite sized mozzarella from the water and set on work surface. Combine the meat into a single mound then score it into 5 sections. Each section will yield 3 large sausage meatballs. To form each ball, take a handful of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Roll 15 balls. Wash up. Coat balls with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through and evenly browned.
While the balls are cooking, trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet. Sprinkle the garlic over the broccolini and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and roast 12 to 15 minutes to crisp the broccolini tops.
While the broccolini is roasting, add tomatoes to a small pot or skillet, mash with a potato masher and season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat then simmer to reduce about 8 to 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the hot pot to dry them out a little. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup stock, 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, 3 Tbs. sour cream & lots of black pepper and a little salt.
Turn the heat off the tomatoes and stir in 1/2 cup prepared pesto.
Serve three cheese-stuffed sausage balls with tomato-basil sauce on top and Mashed cheese potatoes and broccolini alongside.