Waikiki Meatballs

By Addie

“My Grandma grew up in Hawaii. These meatballs reminded her of her childhood.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2/3 cup saltine cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Combine ground beef, saltine cracker crumbs, onion, milk, egg, salt and ginger in a large bowl and mix well. Shape the ground beef mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into balls.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs. Cook, turning them frequently, until cooked through and browned. Drain, removing the meatballs to a platter using a slotted spoon.


Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup of juice. Combine reserved juice, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch and soy sauce in a small bowl; mix well. Pour into the skillet.


Cook the juice mixture over medium heat, stirring continually, until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the meatballs, pineapple tidbits and bell pepper and mix well.


Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Spoon into a medium serving bowl. Serve meatballs with toothpicks.
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Grandma's Secret Trick

When a recipe called for less than a whole chopped onion, Grandma chopped the whole onion, then put the extra into small containers and froze it. That way, she had chopped onion on hand and ready to use at a moment's notice.