Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (52 page)

Prep. Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

5 Tbsp. cornstarch,
divided

½ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. minced onions

2 cups pineapple juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

½ cup wine vinegar

¾ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 green bell pepper, cut in strips

1 can water chestnuts, drained

1. Combine beef, egg, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, salt, and onions in bowl. Mix well.

2. Shape into 1” Meatballs. Place on baking sheet. Brown on all sides under broiler.

3. Mix remaining cornstarch with pineapple juice in saucepan. When smooth, mix in soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar. Bring to boil. Simmer, stirring until thickened.

4. Combine Meatballs and Sauce in slow cooker.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 2 hours.

6. Stir in green peppers and water chestnuts.

7. Cover. Cook 1 hour on Low.

Serving suggestion: Serve over
chow mein noodles
and garnish with
pineapple slices
.

Applesauce Meatballs

Mary E. Wheatley

Mashpee, MA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

¾ lb. ground beef

¼ lb. ground pork

1 egg

¾ cup soft bread crumbs

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

oil

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup water

1. Combine beef, pork, egg, bread crumbs, applesauce, salt, and pepper in bowl. Form into 1½” balls.

2. Brown in oil in batches in skillet. Transfer meat
to slow cooker as a batch browns, reserving drippings.

3. Combine ketchup and water in skillet. Stir up browned drippings and mix together well. Spoon over meatballs, making sure that all are covered.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
steamed rice
and
green salad
.

Holiday Meatballs

Jean Robinson

Cinnaminson, NJ

Makes 20 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 3½-6½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

2 15-oz. bottles ketchup (spicy, if you can find it)

2 cups blackberry wine

2 12-oz. jars apple jelly

2 lbs. frozen, precooked meatballs,
or
your own favorite meatballs, cooked

1. Heat ketchup, wine, and jelly in slow cooker on High.

2. When hot, stir in frozen meatballs.

3. Cover. Cook on High 4-6 hours. (If the meatballs are not frozen, cook on High 3-4 hours.)

Variations:

1. For those who like it hotter and spicier, put a bottle of hot sauce on the table to add to their individual servings.

2. If you prefer a less wine-y flavor, use 1 cup water and only 1 cup wine.

Meatballs with Bounce

Arlene Leaman Kliewer

Lakewood, CO

Makes 8-10 servings, or 60 very small meatballs

Prep. Time: 1 hour

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Sauce:

12-oz. bottle chili sauce

10-oz. jar grape jelly

½ cup ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. Combine ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in bowl. Form into 60 small balls. Place on baking sheet.

2. Bake at 400° for 15-17 minutes. Place in slow cooker.

3. Combine Sauce ingredients in saucepan. Heat and stir until jelly melts. Pour over Meatballs.

4. Heat on Low until ready to serve.

Note:

We often make this recipe for our family’s Christmas evening snack.

Variations:

1. Liven up the Meatballs by adding ⅔ cup chopped onions, 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley, and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce in Step 1.

Joan Rosenberger

Stephens City, VA

2. Add juice of half a lemon to the Sauce in Step 3.

Linda Sluiter

Schererville, IN

3. Use ½ cup crushed cornflakes in place of 1 cup bread crumbs in Meatball mixture.

Add 1 Tbsp. bottled lemon juice to Sauce in Step 3.

Alice Miller

Stuarts Draft, VA

Meatball-Barley Casserole

Marjorie Y. Guengerich

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

⅔ cup pearl barley

1 lb. ground beef

½ cup soft bread crumbs

1 small onion, chopped

¼ cup milk

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

oil

½ cup thinly sliced celery

½ cup finely chopped sweet peppers

10¾-oz. can cream of celery soup

⅓ cup water

paprika

1. Cook barley as directed on package. Set aside.

2. Combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Shape into 20 balls.

3. Brown in batches on all sides in oil in skillet. Drain off drippings as you finish a batch, and place Meatballs in slow cooker.

4. Stir in barley, celery, and peppers.

5. Combine soup and water in a bowl. Pour into slow cooker. Mix all together gently.

6. Sprinkle with paprika.

7. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High 4 hours.