Super Sides {2} - Potluck edition

Gary's work held a potluck this week for all their workers. How cute, right? I talked Gary in to making a bbq meatball recipe because I remembered how much he peed about the ones Bridget made for the Oelrich Christmas gathering on January 1, 2011. Did he remember what I was talking about? Of course not, but he signed up to make that anyway. A day or two before the potluck I then asked what everyone else was bringing. He rattled off a number of things, all including meat. Why on earth did he let me talk him in to bringing meatballs??? Dork! Anyway, they turned out quite well and they were all gone by the time Gary returned from work. I suppose that means they were a success!

Crock pot BBQ Meatballs*

*I created my master meatballs (see What's for Dinner {4})** and used the directions from the link above.

**I didn't add mozzarella balls and somehow forgot to put in the dijon. No worries, they still tasted like candy!!


Meatballs
1 lb ground chuck
1 lb ground turkey
1 large egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 T minced garlic
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Tabasco
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Sauce
1 large bottle of regular BBQ Sauce (don’t go too thick on the sauce you need to be able to stir)
1/2 C. Grape Jelly

Preheat oven to 350. Get a nonstick cookie sheet ready. Get a large skillet and drizzle about 2 TBS. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the pan, this needs to be hot but do not turn it up to high you don’t want to burn the oil.

Get your hands dirty! Start mixing the meat and seasonings together. Then start forming one inch balls, just like you would for peanut butter cookies.

Carefully lower the balls into your hot oiled skillet. You want to put them in here to sear them, give them a nice color and lock the flavors in. You may have to turn them a couple times to get even color.

When you have some great color on your meatballs transfer them to your cookie sheet and put them in the oven to finish cooking them. Mine were done after 15 minutes but start with ten and make sure you test one by opening it and seeing that its well done.

Transfer your cooked meat to the crock pot and then cover them with half the bottle of BBQ sauce and the jelly. Stir it and get them coated, then stir in the rest of the BBQ sauce. Put the mixture on the temp that makes them bubble a little but not boil. Let simmer for 2 hours before devouring the entire crock pot. Recipes makes approximately 54 mini balls.

***

***Don't worry - this was taken after a semi-sear and before baking. They should end up well done once finished in the oven.