This is a great time of year to make a large pot of meatballs. For many of us it is bitter cold and the warm aroma of the sauce slow cooking with the meatballs smells heavenly! Today it feels like -22F or -30C – so it is bitter cold! Comfort food is a must! These meatballs are just excellent and we served them over rice for a nice change to the traditional meatballs and spaghetti. I was never a meatball fan – just ask my husband! But by using ground turkey they have a lighter taste than ground beef and I got interested in trying different recipes. One of my favorites dishes since I was young is Sweet and Sour Chicken – so I thought why not try it with turkey meatballs! And yes, it came out yummy! Comfort food at its best. This recipe makes a lot of meatballs so I will freeze a dinner or two, which is always nice when you do not have time to cook to have something in the freezer.
I either brown the meatballs in a little olive oil or under a broiler. But be careful if you are using ground turkey since the broiler can dry them out.
I love how the sauce looks with the pineapple!
And it is delicious! Especially on a cold winter day when a little hardier meal is needed!
Meatball Ingredients:
2 pounds Ground Beef or turkey
½ cup Sweet Onion, Diced Finely
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Milk
3/4 cups Breadcrumbs
1 ½ tsp. Salt
Pepper, Freshly Ground
Olive Oil, For Frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients:
2 cup Apple Vinegar
1 cup Tomato Paste
1 cup Ketchup
2 cup Pineapple Juice
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce, light
2 tsp. Ground Ginger
5 tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 tbsp. Arrowroot, for thickening
Fruit / Vegetable Ingredients:
1-½ cup Pineapple Tidbits
1 large Red or Orange Bell Peppers, Seeded And Diced Roughly
½ Sweet Onion, diced or sliced
Preparation:
Mix together the meatball ingredients. Roll into small balls and either fry on the stovetop in olive oil or broil in the oven. I like to use a ¼ measuring cup and I wet my hands before forming them to keep them moist.
Mix together the sweet and sauce ingredients. In a large skillet add the sweet and sour sauce plus the fruit / vegetable ingredients and warm through. Then added browned meatballs and simmer for about an hour. Serve over rice or pasta.
Tagged: comfort food, cooking with ground turkey, dinner, food, food photography, healthy foods, photo, recipe, rice dishes
