Grape Jelly Meatballs
★★★★★
PREP TIME
25 minutes
COOK TIME
3 hours 25 minutes
MAKES
20 meatballs
Ingredients
12 ounces
tomato-based chili sauce (like Heinz brand) or barbecue sauce
10 ounces
grape jelly
1 tablespoon
to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound
ground beef (15 to 20 percent fat)
2
large shallots, finely chopped
2
cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup
Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup
fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1
egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons
kosher salt, plus more if needed
1/2 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In the bowl of a slow-cooker (at least 5 quarts) whisk together chili or barbecue sauce and grape jelly. Place the lid on the slow-cooker and cook on high for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and drizzle olive oil over a sheet pan. In a large bowl, combine beef, onion, garlic, Panko, egg, salt and red pepper flakes until just combined. Form into 20 to 22 scant 1-inch meatballs. (If you have a little over 1 pound meat, make meatballs ever so slightly smaller and make another one or two; the idea is that these are one- or two-bite meatballs so smaller is okay.)
- Place meatballs on the prepared sheet pan and bake, shaking the pan halfway through, until browned, 10 minutes.
- Transfer warm meatballs to the slow-cooker with the sauce. Gently toss meatballs in sauce to coat. Place the lid on the slow-cooker and cook, tossing halfway through, on high for 1 to 2 hours, or low for 3 to 4 hours. Taste, and stir in another tablespoon lemon juice mixed with a pinch of kosher salt if you find the sauce a bit too sweet. Serve warm with toothpicks.
