Gluten Free Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

Tonight we went to dinner at a friend's house, and we all brought appetizers.  One friend brought a bean and guacamole dip and chips, which was absolutely amazing.  Another friend brought beet hummus, which also was spectacular.  The host made homemade bread (which I was unable to eat) and an almond,honey,chocolate mixture to spread on the bread.  This was so amazing that I ate it by the spoonful.  I hope that they will share that recipe soon, so I can share it with all of you.

As you can tell, the people that come to this dinner are very good cooks.  So, I have to try to keep up with their culinary expertise.  When I am unsure about what to make, I think about some of the recipes my mother made as a child.  One of the appetizers I remember fondly was cocktail meatballs.  My mother brought it to parties and served it with toothpicks.  It was always fun eating something with toothpicks.  I remember that I always had to grab some of these early, because there were never any left.  So, I decided to make it for tonight.  I adapted the recipe my mother made when I was younger to make it gluten free.

Cocktail Meatballs

1lb ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 small onion, grated or 2 tbsp dried minced onion
3/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup Heinz chili sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

Combine the ground beef, egg, almond flour, grated onion, salt, pepper, and oregano.  Then mix everything together well using your hands.  Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.  You should get between 25-30 meatballs.

In a skillet, combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice.  Simmer it on low until it is a smooth consistency, stirring constantly.  Add meatballs gently and simmer for 1 hour.  Then serve.

Tonight I decided that 1lb of ground beef was not enough to bring to our dinner, so I tripled this recipe.  No, this is not a typo.  I made 3lbs of meatballs, but we took home only roughly 5 meatballs.  So, I would say that this recipe was a huge success.

Cook's Notes:  This recipe can also be made using a crockpot.  You combine the meat make the meatballs the same way I stated above, however you place them in the crockpot.  Then you mix the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a skillet.  Stir it constantly until the mixture is smooth.  Then pour it over meatballs and cook it on low for 4-5 hours.  It is just as delicious cooking it this way, so do what is easier for you and your family.

I hope you enjoy making it to bring to an appetizer party or for a fun dinner of appetizers at home.

<3 Cassidy