Cranberry sweet and sour meatballs

Can be made ahead and warmed in a slow cooker

Whether I’m hosting a party or taking something along to contribute to one, I never go wrong with sweet and sour meatballs. No matter how creative or fancy I aspire to be, these meatballs are what sell, and there are never any leftovers.

You can make these ahead and just warm them in a slow cooker, which also is perfect for serving since it will keep the meatballs warm at a party.

The sauce packs a lot of sweet and sour flavor into each little bite. There also is a bit of spice from the cayenne pepper. Start by adding a small amount to the sauce and add more if needed. I use my general meatball recipe with the addition of chili pepper, which I’ll share below.

I think it’s worth the extra effort to make homemade meatballs, but you also could use pre-made frozen meatballs, adding them — frozen — to the sauce and cooking them for the same amount of time. If using frozen meatballs, there will be a bit of extra water in the sauce, so after cooking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and allow the sauce to simmer until reduced. The sauce should be on the thick side and cling to the meatballs.

I always end up with an extra can of cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving, so these meatballs typically end up on my Shabbat table as a meaty side dish, adding to the holiday leftovers to break up the menu a bit.

Ingredients
Makes about 40 small meatballs

Meatballs:
2 pounds ground beef
¼ cup packed grated onion, liquid squeezed out
⅔ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons water
2-3 tablespoons oil for pan-frying

Sauce:
1 jar cranberry sauce, jellied or whole berry
1 jar chili sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Optional: 1 cup whole fresh cranberries
¼ cup light brown sugar

This is my basic meatball recipe. I use seasoned breadcrumbs because they include garlic and onion powder along with other seasonings, but everything is on the mild side. Feel free to try the meatball recipe for other dishes. For this recipe I add chili powder, although I would omit that for other dishes. If you’re a fan of cumin, you can add 1-2 teaspoons into the meatball mixture for a deeper flavor profile.

A fan recently told me that Giant Eagle’s brand of Worcestershire sauce is vegan, so I’m thrilled to have that umami flavor added to meatballs and meatloaf.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together with your hands.

It’s easiest to form all of the meatballs at once and set them on a tray until you’re ready to brown them. Make each one about the size of a superball. If the meatballs stick to your hands when forming them, dip your fingers into a small dish of water as needed.

Heat a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes before adding in 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Brown the meatballs in batches, cooking for a minute or so on each side until the edges are cooked. Set them aside on a tray until you’re ready to add them to the sauce.

If the sauté pan is lightly coated in grease you can use it as it. If there is a lot of excess fat or liquid, drain most of that off, leaving a couple tablespoons in the bottom of the pan for flavor. Add the can of cranberry sauce and break it into pieces. Then add the spices, sugar and chili sauce.

Once you’ve poured the chili sauce into the pan, add 2 inches of water to the jar, put the lid on and shake it to get every last bit of sauce mixed into the water, then add it to the pan.

Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Once the cranberry sauce melts most of the way down, add the meatballs and bring them to a boil over medium heat, mixing well to combine the ingredients.

You can add 1 cup of fresh, raw berries into the pan for extra color and flavor when you add the meatballs.

When bubbling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes. Keep covered until ready to serve.

You can refrigerate and reheat these over low heat or in a slow cooker on low, reducing to the warm setting once the sauce is bubbling.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.