“Three Ingredient” Meatballs
You Need:
One bag frozen Italian meatballs (two pounds)
One can (14oz) of jellied cranberry sauce
One jar (14oz) of chipotle glaze grill sauce OR chili sauce
Prepare your meatballs. The meatballs I got were already cooked and just had to be reheated in the oven or microwave. If you have a good from-scratch meatball recipe, leave it in the comments!
Put your cranberry sauce in a sauce pan. Confession: jellied cranberry sauce freaks me out. The lines! ACK!
Add your chipotle/chili sauce to the same pan.
Mix the two sauces together over medium heat until blended.
Add your meatballs to the sauce (or your sauce to the meatballs!).
You can serve them on a platter, or put them in a chafing dish to keep warm.
I don’t even have words.
Mike liked them a lot – they were too spicy for Annie to try, but she wanted to get in on the fun.
Enjoy!
| “Three Ingredient” Meatballs |
|
- One bag frozen Italian meatballs (two pounds)
- One can (14oz) of jellied cranberry sauce
- One jar (14oz) of chipotle glaze grill sauce OR chili sauce
- Prepare your meatballs
- Mix your cranberry sauce and chipotle/chili sauce together over medium heat until blended
- Add your sauce to the heated meatballs
- Serve!
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
This reminds me of a yummy “3 Ingredient Meatball” sample I just had a Trader Joe’s. Same basic concept of combining a sweet and savory sauce ingredient.
TJ’s 3 Ingredient Meatballs
1 bag frozen meatballs (they used party sized turkey meatballs)
1 jar apricot preserves
1 jar General Tsao’s Sweet & Sour sauce
Combine preserves and sweet & sour sauce and pour over warm meatballs.
Even my 4 year old liked this (okay, the 7 yr old didn’t, but she’s weird) yummy sample and asked for a second taste.
Love their shirts!!!
I use grape jelly and barbecue sauce. I’ll have to try yours out next time.
I also put it all in the crockpot and let it simmer. That way you don’t have to preheat the oven. It’s a perfect item to bring to potlucks.
I use grape jelly and chili sauce.
these would be great over rice! For meatballs I just mix 1 pound ground beef, one egg, 3/4 cup of bread crumbs, 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper and smoosh together and shape into balls. Then cook in a pan, turning them a few time!
Elissa Lerma´s last [type] ..Early Bday Bash
Mike’s shirt is the bomb! Totally looks like Annie is throwing up a gang sign but she’s way too sweet for that
Those look delish..I have tried with apricot jelly and chili sauce before but will definitely want to try this one and I’m hoping the cranberry will stave off those pesky UTI’s, at least that’s what I will tell people when I eat the whole platter
I do something similar with cooked meatballs (or even chicken breast cut into strips), french dressing and a can of cranberry sauce (the whole cranberry kind – not the jelly kind). Yummy!
Megan´s last [type] ..Harder.
I’m totally trying this!
Me´s last [type] ..So Wrong
The meatballs sound great but my favorite part of this post was definitely Annie flashing gang symbols. Sure she’s just trying to give a thumbs up! She’s really sending out messages to the toddler set!
I love love looooove you!!! You put a meatball recipe on here just in time for the Husker game Saturday!!! You ROCK!
We do ours with grape jelly and chili sauce. I think it would work with pretty much anything sweet and anything spicy
YUMMO
There are SO many versions of this! LOL We use Chili Sauce and Grape Jelly. (Which is a combination of two other posters above!) I’ll have to try some of these variations including the Cranberry Sauce. (Which I LOVE the flavor of. )
Super easy meatball recipe:
1 Cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs (Progresso makes these)
1 Egg
1 pound of lean ground beef or ground bison. Does NOT work well with lean ground turkey.
Incorporate all ingredients and form into meatballs OR press into a lightly greased loaf pain for meatloaf.
For regular meatballs, you can add beef gravy after they are baked. For meatloaf, some of my family members like ketchup of condensed tomato soup poured on top prior to baking.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever commented. I’m just a blog stalker. Anywhoo. We actually this exact recipes but in the crockpot with Kirkland Brand Meatballs from Costco. Love it and its ready by the time I get home as long as its on low. Sometimes I’ve used other fruits when I don’t have cranberry applesauce is great as well. Its good over rice or potatoes or noodles. yummmm…. Great recipe. Thanks!
Now I’m drooling. Those look delish! We have Kroger brand foods in Colorado too (our store is King Soopers – I’m guessing you got those at Ralphs?) but we don’t have those meatballs. Where have they been all of my life!!!
A couple of thoughts:
1) You could mix up the sauce and throw everything in a crock-pot probably on low for a while if you had a million things to do and couldn’t stand by the stove.
2) A trick to getting things that come packed into cans (cranberry jelly, refried beans, etc.) out of the can in the easiest way possible? Open one end of the can like normal. Turn the can upside-down and set it in the pot. Then take your can opener and open a little bit of the other side of the can. This releases the vacuum seal, and allows the contents to slide right out.
Looks awesome, Spohr’s! And Annie’s “Thumbs Up” reminds me of my daughters peace sign… or her West Coast “W” that she throws up instead!
Happy weekending!
B
Broad´s last [type] ..Save the Turkey Drama for Yo Momma
ORRRRRR… I could have read all of the other comments first, and not been so redundant with my whole “Hey! Why don’t you throw it in a crock pot!” jibberish.
Never mind me. I’m sleep deprived.
Broad´s last [type] ..Save the Turkey Drama for Yo Momma
THANK YOU for sharing this trick! Do you know how many cans of refried beans I’ve done battle with??
Mike’s face om the second-to-last picture!!
I’ve had meatballs like that before! Sooooo yummy. I want to make them now.
Annie’s sign is way cooler than a thumbs-up!
That’s not a recipe; it’s an assembly of 3 pre-made products.
Yep, that’s what I said in the first sentence of the post.
rec·i·pe/?res??p?/
Noun:
1.A set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.
Noone likes a dick* Cari…
*smartass.
I’ve just had breakfast but now I want meatballs.
EAsiest – GLUTEN free meatballs ever.
1 lb ground meat (any variety or mix thereof)
1/2 tsp baking soda
Any spices you like (i do cumin, salt, pepper)
Any thawed frozen veg you like (i do spinach and pureed winter squash).
Mix together. Let sit 30 min for the baking soda magic to work.
Roll balls.
Bake at 350 until done (2TB balls = 30min. ice cream scoop balls = 45min)
Mmmm, sounds good! Would have never thought of sweet and spicy meatballs. Going to have to try this recipe. I LOVE Mike’s, “I heart Annabel’ shirt and Annie’s Batman shirt. =o)
I have a kick-ass Italian family recipe for the best meatballs and sauce ever…but you’ll have to fly me out to cook in your gorgeous kitchen with you! And of course I’d have to bring my little “Fan-abel”…she would be so excited to meet Annie in person
P.S. We are free for Thanksgiving
lol
Look at you! Awesome kitchen, cooking tutorials…it just gets better and better. Seriously though, they look pretty good!
Meghan´s last [type] ..Oh how I miss the 80s
My mom makes something like this but instead of the cranberry sauce she uses grape jelly! I’ll have to make this for my family sometime soon
A tad off the subject but this post reminded me of one of my kids’ favorite recipes — three ingredients plus chicken……
Combine a jar of apricot preserves (i use the low sugar one), a jar of Russian or Catalina dressing, a pkg of Lipton onion soup mix (the dry kind) —– mix all together and pour over chicken breasts and cook at 350 for about 30 min til done and serve over rice. Makes the house smell great while it is cooking. I know you will love this!!!
we love this recipe too!!
Grape Jelly and a bottle of Heinz chili sauce mixed together and heated in same manner is also an amazing sauce for pre-made, frozen meatballs.
Will email you my “crack meatballs’ recipie. Is all about the “slurry”
I love the cooking, the recipes, the pictures, the Heather, the Mike and the Annabel! I also love all the other stuff left in the comments. Mwah!!
YUM!!! I”m running out and buying the ingredients tomorrow. This is a great last minute “What do I eat for dinner?” idea!!
Also, I love spicy!
AmazingGreis´s last [type] ..One Moment in Time…
I seriously thought this was a Jersey Shore post…and was wondering who the 3rd meatball was…
Not to alarm you, but it looks like Annie is sporting a gang sign! Hopefully I’m mistaken and she hasn’t really joined the Cryps or Bloods
I have a really good homemade recipe for meatballs.
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage(I use the mild stuff)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp dehydrated onion
2 eggs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
I always double the recipe. And end up freezing them.
To cook I place in a broiler pan and broil till brown.
They are so good and super easy. And freezing ten makes ten good last minute meals. I am going to try your sauce with them now.
another super easy meatball recipe is meatballs+pineapple salsa (we like newman’s own) and cranberry sauce. Not quite as spicy but super yummy!!
I’ve never tried the packaged meatballs….I’ve also never considered mixing these three particular things together. I bet the hubster would love this!
Shan´s last [type] ..Hip To My Heart…
The sauce combo (using cranberry or grape jelly) is also awesome for lil smokie sausages.
Hi Heather !
I do homemade meatballs with the following:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 package of Stouffer’s Turkey Stuffing
Pinch of garlic salt & italian seasoning
1 egg
1/2 cup of water
Turns out really really good, I also use the recipe (w/o the garlic salt mind you) for meatloaf !
Going to definitely have to try the new sauce for the meatballs and pour over some stir fry !!
Ha! I just had something similar yesterday — before I even saw this post. Except it was only two ingredients: frozen meatballs and raspberry chipotle bbq sauce.
B makes a super-similar recipe with grape jelly, chili sauce & garlic powder- we put them in a crockpot and serve them at parties. SO good! We will have to try your version soon.
I had NOT IDEA that cranberry sauce could actually be a SAUCE…I’ve only ever eaten it sliced at Thanksgiving…(the fact that it’s called a sauce should have been a clue I guess…)
My meatball recipe is
250g of ground beef
150g of sausage meat
1 egg
Breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan
Salt, pepper, oregano and chilli flakes
Smoosh all together, form balls, fry lightly until browned, set aside.
For tomato sauce
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 jar of sieved passata
1 onion Finely diced
3 cloves of garlic crushed.
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Lashings of olive oil
Oregano.
Chuck all that into a stock pot, stir well and bring to the boil.
In a deep oven proof dish, put your meatballs. Topped with the tomato sauce and bake for 35 minutes.
Serve with spaghetti!
Takes about an hour (tops) to make!
Becca_Masters´s last [type] ..Red Vines & Ferns
Hi Heather, Mike and Annabel! I’ve never commented here but actually have been following your blog for years.
Just throwing in my family’s recipe for *italian* meetballs (since we are italians!). It is in fact rare that italians eat meatballs with spaghetti. I – though I’m allergic to gluten – personally love rice/pasta with meatballs, anyway…
my mom’s/granny’s recipe (excuse my kg! Cannot quite understand lbs)
normal version
- 1 kg ground meet (my grandmother used to do beef only but my mom loves to do half beef half turkey)
- 1 ciabatta bread or 4-5 slices of any bread you have. You can actually use old bread (my granny used to do it, she kept it for the meatballs!)
- a glass of milk
- 2 small eggs or 1 big egg
- parmesan cheese, shredded (is this the right word in english?)
- salt & pepper
- smashed garlic
- wheat flour
You first put the (old) bread in the milk; you can adjust quantities but the bread has to absorb the milk.
You then mix the meat with the eggs and the smashed garlic, adding salt and pepper; then, when it comes together (you need to use your hands…actually, I had my whole bunch of nephews – 5 of them – help me one time. They looooved it though it was REALLY messy at some point) you add the bread and milk mixture. At the end you add the parmesan cheese. If it’s too loose, you can add some bread crumbs.
You then do some little balls with the palm of your hands and kindly roll them in the flour.
You have to gently cook them IN the sauce (yours is actually yummyyyy I need to try it!) by putting them in one by one and turning VEEEERY carefully with a wooden spoon. Fire must be very loooow and it takes about half an hour.
gluten-free version!! YAY!! ^_^ all of my allergies satisfied (and tasty!)
- 1 kg ground meet
- two cups of white rice
- half a glass of rice milk unsweetened
- 1 egg
- mozzarella / swiss cheese
- salt & pepper
- smashed garlic
- brown rice flour (organic’s the best – though not the cheapest…)
You first cook the rice (not rice cooker, not microwave rice…it needs to be a little bit sticky) by bringing it to boil in four cups of water then, when it boils, bringing it down and covering until the water has been absorbed. Let the rice become cold. Mix the meet, garlic, salt, pepper and egg; then add the rice and the cheese (I’m allergic to old cheese but you can use your favorite one!). Add some rice flour if it’s too lose then roll it in the flour and cook them in the sauce of your choice as well.
I hope it is not too long…thanks for sharing your life.
Thanks to all of you! I didn’t want to run back to the grocery store. I have chipotle and apricots, so I think I’ll try them with my meatballs. Sounds really great! thanks again:)