Here is to a SIMPLE recipe of Sweet and Sour Meatballs. I don’t know about you but this meal is SO colorful and tastes great. Thanks to the case-lot sales last week I have my 1 YEAR SUPPLY of ketchup…so what better meal to cook than Sweet & Sour Meatballs.
- 2 lbs. hamburger
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup saltine crackers, crushed (or 1 c. bread crumbs) *I added them to the milk to soak up the moisture- I’ve heard on the food network it makes the meatballs more tender.)
- 1 Tbsp. onions, grated
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 2 cup ketchup
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pepper
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
- ½ red bell pepper, diced in chunks
- ½ yellow bell pepper, diced in chunks
- ½ green bell pepper, diced in chunks
- 1 medium white onion, diced in chunks
- ½ c. carrots, diced on an angle
- ½ c. Sugar Snap Peas (*add at the very end just for color. If you cook them they will not hold their bright green color) *Optional
- Mix ground beef, milk, crackers, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. Don’t over mix or it will result in a tougher meatball. Form into round balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. At 5 minutes roll the meatballs around for even cooking. Mix remaining ingredients into a deep sauté pan. Once sauce has reached a low boil add all vegetables and browned meatballs. Allow to simmer 15-25 minutes or until ready to eat. I prefer my vegetables with a crunch so I added the meatballs to simmer longer than the vegetables. Enjoy!
- *This recipe makes TONS I would cook the entire recipe if you are feeding about 6-8 adults. I would reduce everything by half if cooking for 2 adults and 4 kids.
My little guy Caleb wanted to show you all how much he LOVED it too! Is there really anything cuter than a smiling full little guy? I think not!
Also, here is a great FREEZER tip when making meatballs. I was able to have TONS extra (THIS RECIPE MAKES A TON!). So I decided to place them on a cookie sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and let them individually freeze. Then once they are frozen I will toss them in a Ziploc bag and pull out for later recipes. We love Spaghetti and Meatballs or Sub Sandwiches. Both of these will be a QUICK meal because all the hard work is already done. And at my house that is what summer cooking is all about…QUICK an FAST! Oh, and delicious!!
