I probably shouldn't admit that I just came across the recipe because based on my internet research, it's been around forever. However, I will admit that I was both curious AND concerned about the recipe. The recipe only called for 3 ingredients, a slow cooker and almost seemed too easy to be true.
Anyhow, we had a potluck dinner after Church today and I needed something quick and easy to take. Throughout the week, I thought about making some other dishes that go over well at potlucks but I kept coming back to this recipe. Almost always, the mention of a slow cooker seals the deal for me!
As we were loading up the crockpot of Sweet 'N Tangy Meatballs into the car this morning, I confided in Justin my worries about serving a recipe that I have never prepared to a bunch of people. Knowing my luck, the meatballs would turn out to be an epic fail and everyone would see my leaving with my nasty potluck dish!
Thankfully, I was dead wrong. We came home with an empty crock-pot! I saw several people go back for more and they had already disappeared. Being the "helper" that I am, I divulged the recipe--they couldn't believe how easy the meatballs were! Especially since they were quickly kid-approved by all the young tikes.
The recipe called for 3 very basic ingredients:
All you do is dump a big bag of frozen meatballs in the slow cooker and pour in a 12-oz bottle of grape jelly and a 10-oz bottle of chili sauce. Cook everything on low for several hours and you're ready to go. It's really THAT easy!
After reading some reviews, I decided to play with the recipe a bit. I added 1 teaspoon of Worchestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon of ground mustard to everything. I also cooked the meatballs on high for about 1 hour and then turned it down to low until it was time to eat. By then, the jelly and chili sauce had penetrated the meatballs and they had tons of flavor! Surprisingly, they weren't really sweet. So I don't know why the recipe called them Sweet 'N Tangy--if it were up to me, I would call them "Don't-Count-On-Any-Leftovers People Pleasers."
I also read some reviews where they substituted Apricot preserves for the grape jelly--I can't wait to try that version, sometime! Some people also used an Asian Chili sauce to give it more kick--again, I can't wait to try that as well! To make a meal out of the meatballs, many people reported serving them over rice.
Whatever you end up doing, just make sure you decide to try these People Pleasers--you (and all the other mouths) won't be disappointed!
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