Recently, I was sent a festive gift basket filled with all the ingredients needed to make the "Ultimate Party Meatballs." Not only are these meatballs delicious, but the recipe itself is easy to prepare, with only three ingredients -- Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce, Johnsonville® Classic Italian Meatballs and Heinz® Chili Sauce. While I had to go to the store to buy the Johnsonville® Classic Italian Meatballs, the basket contained FREE product coupons, which was a nice surprise.
Like I have shared in the past, growing up in Boston, MA I was always exposed to sports...either baseball, basketball or football. Depending on the season, our television was always tuned to the Red Sox, Celtic or Patriots on Game Day. And, every Thanksgiving morning, my father would take us to our local high school to root on the local football team, or to Lowell, MA to root on the college football team, while my mom prepared the turkey dinner. When it came to opening day for the Red Sox, we would always come down with a "cold" the night before, and have to miss school that day...just so my dad could take us to Fenway to watch the first pitch of the season being thrown out. While I no longer live in MA and can easily visit Boston for games, I still make a point to go to my parents house on game days to watch and root on our home teams on the television, while enjoying great tailgating foods. And, when football season is in full swing, I make a point to visit Foxboro Stadium at least a few times, just to park in the parking lot with family and friends, and enjoy the whole tailgating experience as we tune the game in on our radios, or stream from our phones, while enjoying each others company.
When it comes to preparing fun game day foods to either serve up at my house, or take to my parents, I love trying out new recipes I find online. Finger foods are always a hit, especially meatballs. So, when I received this "Ultimate Party Meatballs" gift baskets, complete with Johnsonville Potholders, Heinz Cocktail Toothpicks and a Heinz Mixing Spoon, I knew what I was making for the Red Sox game this past weekend. :-)
You can prepare this meatball recipe either on the stove top or in the crockpot. I opted for the crock pot, as I love to the convenience of using a crock pot, as well as how it makes the house smell great, as the food cooks.
Into the crockpot they go...
What they look like at the end of 4 hrs. cooking on high :-)
And, here is what they looked like when served up:
Mmm, looks good, huh? They really are! Everyone who tried them on game day couldn't stop raving about them, and heading back to the kitchen for seconds, thirds,... And, by the end of the game, when we started to clean up, I peaked into the crockpot to find the meatballs all gone. :-( No leftovers. And, when we were saying our goodbyes to everyone, to bring the girls home for bed, everyone kept telling me that this would be my signature dish each game day, and to make double the batch next time. :-) How can I say, as I tried them, and loved them, too! :-)
--BUY NOW--
Want to re-create this perfect appetizer or main dish recipe for your family? Then, head to your local market to pick up a can of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 1 bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce and a bag of the new Fully Cooked Johnsonville Classic Italian Meatballs today. Once you try this recipe, you will want to make it again and again -- it is that good...and easy to make.
Disclosure: I received Heinz®, Johnsonville® and Ocean Spray® products in exchange for sharing this recipe. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It's been a long time since I've made these, so it's nice to see them again! Great idea for guests over the holidays. Will definitely make a batch of these soon.
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