Brandied Cranberry BBQ Meatballs | Easy Christmas Appetizer
Make this festive Christmas appetizer around the holidays when you need a crowd-pleasing bite to put out at your next holiday party! This easy brandied cranberry meatball appetizer recipe comes garnished with cute little holiday hats!
Equipment
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 to 2 tbsp Chili Sauce - to taste
- 1 tbsp Brandy or Bourbon - optional
- 1 container Fresh Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 package Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
Instructions
For The Meatball Sauce:
- Combine jellied cranberry sauce, bbq sauce, chili sauce, and brandy or bourbon in a sauce pan over medium heat whisking together until smooth and combined.
- Empty the meatballs into a wide pan (with a lid) 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-low heat and follow the steps above to make the stovetop sauce for the meatballs.
- When sauce is finished, 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 meatballs 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!
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