Sweet N Sour Meatballs

I have not made the meatballs in this recipe, just the sauce.  I was in a hurry one day so I put all of the sauce ingredients in the crock pot, dumped in frozen, pre-cooked meatballs (I know, I know, what a shame but I needed a quick meal) with the pineapples.  The sauce did not thicken like I believe it would have on the stove top, but it was still good.  Served it over rice and with a veggie.  Enjoy!  

Sauce Ingredients


1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
One 25-count bag All-Purpose Meatballs (still frozen is fine), recipe follows
1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
1 cup drained small pineapple chunks
Steamed long-grain rice, for serving
2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish


Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and 2 cups of the pineapple juice. Bring to a boil.

Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup pineapple juice, whisking to get out all the lumps. Whisk the slurry into the skillet and add the All-Purpose Meatballs. Bring to a simmer and add the sriracha. Cover and cook until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the pineapple chunks.

Serve over steamed rice, garnished with green onions.

All-Purpose Meatballs:

5 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil

All-Purpose Meatballs:

To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, cream, parsley, mustard, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Mix together well with your hands. Scoop out 1-tablespoon portions and roll them into balls with your hands. Place the meatballs onto parchment-lined baking sheets and put the baking sheets in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes for the meatballs to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook, turning the meatballs to make sure they brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

Freezer instructions: Put the cooked meatballs in a single layer on baking sheets and put into the freezer. When frozen, divide them into freezer bags, 25 per bag, and return them to the freezer. Yield: 125 meatballs.

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Picture and recipe Source: The Food Network