co*cktail Meatballs (Cranberry Meatballs) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

What is co*cktail meatballs made of? ›

Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, water, and egg together in a large bowl. Form into small meatballs and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Plump, juicy and soft – as all meatballs should be – these co*cktail Meatballs are served with a Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce. Individually, you'll find both tasty. Combine them together – and woah. It's kind of like Chimichurri Sauce.

If you are making 1-ounce meatballs for a main course you should make 6 meatballs per person. If you have some big eaters at the party I suggest making 6-10 bite sized meatballs per person. As you can see, the number of meatballs you need depends on their size.

Italian-style meatballs often include additional ingredients such as milk, olive oil, ground pork, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, Italian herb seasoning, and sometimes a combination of ground beef, veal, and pork [2].

Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked. Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

Replace the Grape Jelly with apricot preserves, orange marmalade, canned cranberry sauce, raspberry preserves, or hot pepper jelly. Replace the Ketchup with Heinz chili sauce or barbecue sauce. If swapping the ketchup for chili sauce, it is not a spicy sauce.

What do Italians eat with their meatballs? ›

Spaghetti is typically served as a primo, and meatballs (or polpette) are served as the next course (secondo), on their own or with crusty bread, potatoes or other vegetables. My most memorable polpette experience in Italy was at a small place called Poplette & Co in Turin.

If you're eating your meatballs as a main course it's pretty standard to go for a medium one to two-inch size, but bite-sized meatballs like the Dutch bitterballen can be a lot of fun, and give you a higher surface area for sauce.

80/20: Ground Chuck

It is rich and tender with plenty of flavor. Often referred to as “lean ground beef,” this is perfect for hamburgers and meatballs.

BEEF, PORK, CHICKEN MECHANICALLY-SEPARATED, WATER, DEXTROSE, TEXTURED SOY FLOUR, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, BREAD CRUMBS (WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, YEAST), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: ONION POWDER, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, BEEF BASE (ROASTED BEEF INCLUDING NATURAL BEEF JUICES, SALT, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, ...

All you need is some ground beef, plus milk, eggs, breadcrumbs, and a few seasonings. The secret to these sweet and sour meatballs is the deliciously sticky sauce. (and the sauce ingredients are super simple to grab!) Not only is it soaked into every bite, but it creates a glossy coating that lets these beauties shine!

Ground beef, pork and veal are the most common choices in Italy when making meatballs. Some prefer just one, others a mix. It's really up to you. We definitely recommend staying away from chicken or turkey, though.

Meatballs: Ground Beef, Onion, Breadcrumbs (unbleached wheat flour, sugar, yeast, salt), Pecorino Romano Cheese (pasteurized sheep's milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), Parmesan Cheese (pasteurized cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Whole Eggs, Parsley, Salt, Pepper. ALLERGENS: MILK, WHEAT, EGG.