pat's Recipe

Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs Appetizer

Category: Appetizers served hot/warm

Nonstick cooking spray
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup dried cranberries, snipped, or golden raisins, snipped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cloves or allspice
2 pounds uncooked ground chicken or turkey
1 16-oz. can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce

Directions
1. Lightly coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. For meatballs, in a very large bowl, beat egg with a fork. Stir in bread crumbs, dried cranberries or raisins, onion, salt, garlic powder and cloves or allspice. Add ground chicken or turkey; mix well. Shape into 60 meatballs.

2. Place meatballs in prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until done (165 degrees F).

3. Meanwhile, in a 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, stir together cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce. Add cooked meatballs, stirring gently to coat. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 2 to 3 hours or on high-heat setting for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. (Meatballs may be kept warm on low-heat setting for up to 1 hour more.) Serve with toothpicks.

Makes 60 meatballs.

Make-Ahead directions:Prepare meatballs as directed through step 2, except do not bake. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Continue as directed in steps 2 and 3, using the maximum timings to bake and to heat in slow cooker.