Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Meatballs for the Masses

Tonight is our annual New Year's Eve bonfire, complete with fireworks, loads of fun, and, of course, food. Our four oldest grandsons are joining us for the festivities.
These photos should give you a little insight into their personalities. They are a wild and crazy bunch of guys. Throw our two sons into the mix and, well, those finger foods had better be man-pleasing. And what better way to tempt these fellas than with yummy meatballs.
The first time I had these meatballs was at a friend's graduation party when I was in high school and it was love at first bite. I promptly asked her mother for the recipe and have been making them ever since. Except I no longer make my own meatballs. Instead, I look for good-quality premade meatballs like these from Sam's.
I simply put the frozen meatballs into a CrockPot hours before I need them to be ready (Tip: Add a CrockPot liner first and cleanup will be much easier) then pour the sauce over them.

For your sauce, you will need a bottle of chili sauce (this is sold by the ketchup), 6-10 oz. grape jelly, and one teaspoon of lemon juice. I made a double recipe, hence the two bottles of chili sauce and the 18 oz. jar of grape jelly (I used all of it).
Simply put the jelly into a sauce pan. Add the chili sauce and heat over low heat until the jelly has melted and no lumps remain. I use a whisk to help break up any lumps. (My apologies for the blurry pictures)
Pour the sauce over the frozen meatballs.
Put the lid on, cook on high or low, depending on how much time you have, stirring occasionally. One of the easiest appetizers ever. And always a crowd-pleaser. 

So what are you doing this New Year's Eve? Are you going out or staying in? And what are you looking forward to most in 2020?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

10 comments:

  1. I don't think you can go wrong with bbq meatballs! I'm going to bed before midnight for New Year's Eve lol so no big plans here.

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    1. Katie, you're not the only who will be in bed early. We start early and, generally, are in bed well before the ball drops. If the kids want to stay up, so be it, but Grammy and Big Daddy will enjoy their meatballs, watch a few fireworks and then call it night.

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    2. Low-key here, too! Katie, you married into the right family!

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    3. Jan I remember my first New Years with Jacob lol pretty sure I went home before midnight because I couldn't stay awake 😂 I'm just not built for many late night anymore.

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  2. Oh, a crowd pleaser here, too, only our recipe is Barbecue sauce and a can of solid cranberry sauce.... But same idea, sweet and savory and so good! Mindy, Happy New Year!

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  3. Mindy, I LOVE this recipe!! I've made it many times. It's sooo good. I, too, use frozen meatballs.

    I've also made a version made like Ruthy mentioned--bbq sauce and cranberry sauce. It's really good, too!

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    1. Missy, I can't bring myself to try a different sauce because I love this one so much. Except I might add some red pepper flakes on occasion, but that's about it.

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  4. I think this grape jelly meatball recipe must have originated in Texas - at least that was the first place I have ever heard of it. I remember passing them up at church dinners for several months until someone told me I HAD to try them.

    I did. I liked them. Kind of like Sam-I-Am and Green Eggs and Ham! But I never got the recipe. Now I have it! Thanks, Mindy!

    And Happy New Year to you and yours!

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    1. Jan, there's no way this could have been a Texas thing because I learned about it when I was still in Michigan. It is somewhat retro, though. One of those early seventies recipes.

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