Cooking with Sam: ‘Hit the spot’ with meatballs

Crock-Pot Meatballs

16 ounces barbecue sauce

32 ounces grape jelly

Italian bread crumbs

2 pounds ground chuck

1 pound sausage

Melt grape jelly in crock pot. Add barbecue sauce.

Mix ground meat and breadcrumbs and roll into balls. Brown, drain and add to sauce. Cook in Crock-Pot on low about three hours.

Meatballs with Dip

2 beaten eggs

1/3 cup milk

2/3 cup mashed potato flakes

2 tablespoons onion, minced

1 tablespoon of salt

1/8 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire

1 pound of ground chuck

Mix eggs, milk and potato flakes in bowl. Sdd remaining ingredients and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Brown meatballs in a skillet until well done. Keep warm until serving

Dip for meat balls:

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon chives

1 tablespoon brown gravy mix

1 tablespoon milk

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Heat thoroughly, stirring constantly. Serve hot with meatballs.

Cocktail Meat Balls

2 pounds of ground chuck

1/ 2 cup buttery cracker crumbs – I use Ritz

1 small onion, grated

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

½ tablespoon garlic powder

2 large eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce (recipe follows)

Mix all ingredients and shape into 1-inch balls. Arrange in 15×10-inch baking dish.

The sauce:

12 ounces chili sauce

6 ounces grape, plum or apple jelly

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes or until done. Check with a toothpick for doneness.

The Best-Ever Cocktail Balls

1 pound ground chuck

½ cup Italian bread crumbs

½ cup finely-chopped onion

¼ cup milk

1 egg

½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

12 ounces chili sauce

10 ounces grape jelly

½ tablespoon smoked salt

½ tablespoon Lawry’s seasoned salt

½ tablespoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon ground basil

1 tablespoon ground thyme

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 tablespoon marjoram

1 tablespoon savory leaf

1 tablespoon McCormick Italian seasoning

Mix ground chuck, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 tablespoon of spices and roll into 1-inch balls. If you do not want that many spice,s cut back to a teaspoon of each; I just like a lot.

Place balls on a cookie sheet. Put in oven and cook at 325 degrees until browned. Drain off excess fat.

Heat chili sauce and jelly in skillet on low heat, stirring frequently until jelly is melted. Add ¼ teaspoon of salts, pepper and remaining seasoning to taste to chili sauce and jelly mixture. Add meatballs and stir until thoroughly coated. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, covered, stirring occasionally.