Brandied Cranberry BBQ Meatball Appetizer
Make this fun cocktail meatball hors d’oeuvres recipe around the holidays when you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer to put out at your next party! These easy brandied cranberry meatballs come garnished with cute little holiday hats!
Equipment
Wide Skillet with Lid or Slow Cooker / Crockpot
Knife & Cutting Board for garnishes
Paper Drinking Straws or Wooden Cocktail Appetizer Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 26oz bags Frozen Homestyle Meatballs
- 1½ cups BBQ Sauce - I used Sweet Baby Ray's Original
- 1½ to 2 cups Cranberry Sauce - I used Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
- 1 tbsp Brandy
- 1 container Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 package Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat whisking together until smooth and combined.
- Empty the meatballs into a wide pan on the stove top and top with the sauce mixture.
- Stir the meatballs around in the pan until completely coated in the sauce. Cover and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly heated through.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- To turn this great appetizer into easy crockpot meatballs, place a sauce pan over medium heat and combine bbq sauce with the jellied cranberry sauce. Add in some chili sauce and drizzle in a tablespoon of brandy.
- Whisk these four ingredients together until smooth, combined, and heated through. Place meatballs in the slow cooker and drizzle the sauce over meatballs. Stir meatballs around in the crockpot until evenly coated with the sauce. Put the cover on and cook the meatball hors d oeuvres for 3 to 4 hours on low or until completely heated through.
Garnish & Serve
- To create the little holiday hat garnish, slice fresh cherry tomatoes in half right down the center. Now flip the cherry tomato pieces to position them cut side down on the working surface.
- With the tip of a sharp paring knife, cut openings into the rounded tops of the cherry tomatoes. Make a little cut in the shape of an X on each tomato top.
- Now place a piece of sliced cherry tomato (with the X cut facing up) on top of a meatball. Poke the colorful paper drinking straw (which serves as our skewer) through the tomato and into the meatball to hold in place.
- Now tuck in small sprigs and leaves of rosemary to accent the tomato garnish on the meatball. Place on a serving platter and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Show me how it went! Tag @RedWineDragons and hashtag #redwinedragons!