Meatball Sliders

Mix all ingredients except olive oil, sauce, and cheese. Mix gently and only long enough to combine ingredients. Form into 12 large balls (they will be soft and fragile—handle with care.) Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Carefully add meatballs. Cook 2 minutes, then turn. Repeat until meatballs are browned on all sides. Reduce heat to low, and pour sauce over meatballs. Let simmer 30 minutes.

Add warm water, warm milk, 1/2 c. softened butter, honey, and eggs to a bowl of a stand mixer*. Add 5 c. flour and salt. Add yeast to the center. Affix mixer with dough hook. Mix on speed 1 for 5-7 minutes or until dough ball forms and cleans the sides of the bowl. Note: add more flour, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, if the dough is too sticky and doesn’t form a ball. 
 Do not remove dough from bowl. Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and allow to rise 45 minutes. Turn mixer to speed 1 again to punch the dough down. Turn dough out onto a cutting surface. Divide dough evenly in 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and place in 2 greased 13X9 pans (12 in each). Cover again with towel. Let rise 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake buns 20-25 minutes at 350 or until golden. Reserve 12 buns for another use (wrap tightly in plastic and freeze, if desired). Brush remaining buns with remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Cut 12 buns in half. Return bottom buns to baking dish. Top each with 1 meatball and 2-3 Tbsp. sauce (or more or less depending on how much sauce you like in your sandwiches, and how much you prefer for dipping, if any). Top with mozzarella, about 1 oz. each. Top with bun tops and bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes or until cheese melts. Use any remaining sauce for dipping, if desired.