Description
Christmas Cranberry Meatballs are a festive, easy appetizer packed with savory flavor and coated in a sweet-tart cranberry glaze that makes them perfect for holiday parties, easy dinner ideas, family gatherings, and cozy food ideas all season long.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can 14 oz whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet or lightly grease a baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, milk, salt, and black pepper until just combined.
3. Shape the mixture into 1 to 1½ inch meatballs and place them on the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned.
5. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary.
6. Heat the sauce over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth and glossy.
7. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir gently to coat.
8. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, then serve warm.
Notes
Mix the meatball mixture gently so the texture stays tender.
Use whole berry cranberry sauce for a chunkier glaze or jellied cranberry sauce for a smoother finish.
Keep the meatballs warm in a slow cooker for parties so they stay glossy and ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 345
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 88mg