Mixing it up - Meatballs

I was looking for a summer meat ball recipe with a lighter taste. This one is it! Using ground sausage and ground beef and pineapple it is a sweet/sour taste that goes well with rice and fresh veggies. Definitely a favorite summer supper. The recipe calls the meatballs appetizers, but I made them larger and served them as the main course, two meatballs made a 3-4 ounce serving. I also altered the recipe to use more sausage and ground beef. Meatballs made a good entree for a quick meal because they cook quicker than a whole meatloaf and part of the recipe can be easily frozen if you don't want the whole amount.

PINEAPPLE APPETIZER MEATBALLS 

Ingredients:

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple

2 egg

¼ cup dry bread crumbs

⅛ teaspoon pepper

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 pound ground beef

Glaze:

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup white vinegar

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons Dijon-mayonnaise blend

Directions:

1.    Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place pineapple and 2 tablespoons juice in a large bowl (set the remaining juice aside for glaze). Add the egg, breadcrumbs and pepper to pineapple. Crumble sausage and beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into balls. 

      (1-inch for appetizer sized-meatballs and larger for entree meatballs)

2.    Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. 

3.    Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine glaze ingredients and reserved pineapple juice. Add meatballs. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. 

Good when served with brown rice (I sautéed green and red peppers from the garden to add to the rice), fresh tomatoes, and rolls. 

Meatballs for the Covered Dish Dinner

Covered dish dinner, potluck meal, faith supper, bring-and-share, carry-in, bring-a-plate. What ever you call it, it is the season for shared meals with our community groups. It may be church, quilting club, or study group, but this month we celebrate food and friends in many ways.

Recently I've taken covered dish offerings to several events.This recipe for meatballs is a favorite. Because we have a freezer full of beef and lots of hamburger, I like to take a main dish. This is a different flavor that the usual barbecue and not too sweet. I think you'll like it, make extra meatballs and freeze them for a quick dinner for yourself or a gathering.

MINI MEATBALL APPETIZERS WITH APRICOT DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons water

½  teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Sauce:

¾ cup apricot preserves

¾ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Directions:

1.     Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, water, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1¼ -inch meatballs. Place on rack in broiler pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-17 minutes. Be sure the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 160 degrees.

2.     Meanwhile, heat preserves, barbecue sauce and mustard in medium saucepan over medium heat Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until sauce thickens slightly.

3.     Add cooked meatballs and continue to cook 2-3 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. (I did this in small batches) Serve or keep warm in slow cooker. (this worked well, I prepared the meatballs and put them in the slow cooker on low for 2 hours before the event. Stir occasionally)

Taco Beef Nuggets with Tejano Dipping Sauce

Sometimes you find recipes and food ideas in unlikely places. Last week while at the National Festival of Breads, the contestant I was assisting shared some contest tips with me. Like many of the contestants, she was a contest pro, having entered many recipe contests. One of her favorite ones was the National Beef Cookoff which has since been discontinued. But she did share a couple of her winning beef recipes with me.
This meat ball sort of recipe uses ground beef which we seem to have a freezer full of this summer. The Mexican flavor is tasty and one we like and these meatballs are very moist and tasty.

Taco Beef Nuggets with Tejano Dipping Sauce         

Ingredients:

1 pound (I used 2 pounds) ground round

2 tablespoons taco seasoning (again, I doubled this to 4 tablespoons, a full package)

1 can (4 oz) chopped mild green chilies, drained (I used the 4 oz can for 2# beef)

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

2 cups crushed nacho cheese-flavored tortilla chips

Sauce:

6 tablespoons prepared thick taco sauce

3 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Combine ground beef, taco seasoning, and green chilies in a large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Divide beef mixture into 16 portions; shape each portion around a cheese cube, completely covering the cheese. My 2# of ground beef yielded 26 meatballs, I made mine a little larger than 1 oz each portions.

Beat egg white with water in shallow dish until blended. Place chips in second shallow dish. Dip each meatball into egg white mixture, then into chips to coat completely. Press each meatball with palm into a flattened nugget shape. generously coating both sides of nugget with chips. For my increased amount of meatballs, I also used more egg white/water wash and tortilla chips. 

Spray a large baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place nuggets in baking pan; spray tops of nuggets generously with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until meat registers 160  degrees F on an instant-read thermometer; meat should not be pink and juice should run clear. 

Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in small microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until warm. Serve nuggets with sauce. 

Thank you to Patrice Hurd of Minnesota for the recipe and credit to the National Beef Cook-Off (http://www.beefcookoff.org/wr.asp) 

Meat mixture is ready to become a meatball
with a cheese center

Formed and ready to bake.
You can see the green chilies in the meatballs.

26 meat balls made enough to share with daughter and son-in-law
and to freeze for later.

Baked and tasty!