Garlic – 2 garlic cloves is a minimum really, I usually double that at least. Don’t use steel cut oats, it needs to be oat flakes. Oats – You can use bread crumbs instead if desired. Onion – Yellow or white onions, minced, not diced or chopped. You could also use ground turkey or chicken if you like.

Ground Meat – We use extra lean ground beef which I think is ideal, but lean ground beef is fine too. About the Ingredients for Cranberry Meatballs Put in crock pot on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 2-2 1/2 hours. To make slow cooker meatballs using pre-made meatballs, mix sauce ingredients in your slow cooker, then add your cooked meatballs and stir to coat them well. You can also skip making your own meatballs and prepare the cranberry sauce with frozen meatballs, but homemade meatballs are worth the small extra effort. If you make just the meatballs ahead of time you could also finish them in the crock pot. Yes! You can use this recipe to make crockpot meatballs. Can You Make these Christmas Meatballs in a Slow Cooker? When ready to eat – place frozen meatballs on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until heated through. Place them in freezer-safe containers and freeze. This makes them ideal for making them a day in advance and re-heating when ready to serve.įreeze Option: Simply allow the meatballs to cool upon removing from the oven. These cocktail meatballs store well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days if placed in an airtight container. How to Make Cocktail Meatballs Ahead of Time Don’t wait for Christmas dinner to enjoy these little meatballs. While I do love serving these at Christmas, they really are a perfect and easy recipe for any special occasion. Perfect for serving at parties throughout the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Years! These meatballs are sweet, tangy, and savory all at the same time. The typical party meatball are the slow cooker grape jelly meatballs and those are plenty delicious, but I sometimes like to change things up.Ĭranberry Cocktail Meatballs are a delicious appetizer recipe that combines the flavors of Thanksgiving and Christmas into one amazing dish. Not only are they delicious, but they are an easy and economical appetizer for serving a crowd which is exactly why they make an appearance at so many holiday parties. Cocktail Meatballs are an absolute crowd pleaser. Just about every holiday party I’ve ever gone to has had a crock pot full of party meatballs. While the latter is more important than the former, it’s hard for me not to get excited about sitting down with family around a table piled high with rich foods that remind us of Christmases past. These homemade meatballs are an easy appetizer recipe that’s perfect for holiday gatherings! This dish is sweet and tangy, with a touch of heat, and it’s packed with flavour.Įvery year at Christmas, there are two things I always look forward to: family and food. If you are going to be a guest for Thanksgiving at a family or friend’s house, a jar of Mom’s Homemade Cranberry Sauce makes for the perfect hostess gift.These cranberry sauce meatballs are the perfect appetizer for your Christmas party. It will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. This recipe can and should be made in advance and served cold. They also contribute their unique flavors which all add up to one delicious cranberry sauce! But behind the scenes they add a lot of additional texture making the cranberry sauce thick and hearty. The cranberries are still the star, all 3 secret ingredients go almost undetected. What makes mom’s homemade cranberry sauce different?ģ secret ingredients – Fresh Pineapple, Granny Smith Apples and Orange Juice. These days, we normally spend Thanksgiving with Walter’s family, but no matter where I’m celebrating I always bring along a jar of Mom’s Homemade Cranberry Sauce! My parents actually gave it away as a favor at their wedding over 40 Novembers ago! My love for homemade cranberry sauce goes back as far as I can remember. I know some people love it, can’t live without it, but I can hardly stand the sight of it. But, one thing I won’t compromise on is my cranberry sauce! I am a total brat about it and refuse to eat that cringe-worthy crap out of a can. I am pretty open minded to different Thanksgiving dishes, I know everyone has different traditions and recipes that make their Thanksgiving dinner special. The best Homemade Cranberry Sauce, made with whole cranberries, sugar, pineapple chunks, chopped apple and flavored with orange juice.

Mom on time out cranberry sauce