With this meatball appetizer, it’s all in the sauce. I have several sauces that will make your meatballs pop as a great appetizer for family or guests.
Once, in our family, we used to have get-togethers for almost every occasion. There were always at least 10 to 15 people attending. With that many guests, it’s difficult to have a sit-down dinner. So, we used to have buffets or outdoor barbecues. I used to bring out the heated chafing dish for my meatball appetizers. They were invariably the darling of the buffet table.
I used to have 3 x 5 cards made up of recipes that everyone was always asking for. Then, I wasn’t obligated to write down the recipe right on the spot. These meatballs were one of those requested recipes.
- 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3/4 lbs of round beef or a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of ground pork and beef
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 3 tbls Parmesan of Pecorino Romano Cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2 tbls tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 canola oil
- 3/4 cup chili sauce
- 3/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
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Soak bread crumbs in the 1/4 cup of milk until liquid is absorbed. Combine bread crumbs, ground beef, egg, cheese, garlic, onion, tomato paste and salt. Mix gently until all ingredients are well integrated. Shape mixture into 2 inch meatballs.
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Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs until nicely browned. Remove meatballs to paper towel to drain.
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To prepare sauce, combine chili sauce, preserves and jalapeño in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes. Add meatballs and cook another 2 or 3 minutes to heat. Serve immediately.
