Cocktail Meatballs

By LRay

Southern Living, February 2016.

Cocktail meatballs hold a special place in the canon of Southern party appetizers. While we love the ones our mamas made with chili sauce and grape jelly, this recipe is the one we still pull out for company.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
• 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3/4 cup tomato juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium-size yellow onions, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 gingersnaps, crumbled (about 3 Tbsp.)

Details

Servings 48
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Gently stir together ground chuck, next 6 ingredients, and 3/4 cup chopped onions. Shape into 1-inch balls; place in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and drain off excess fat.

2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add remaining onions, and sauté 4 to 6 minutes or until tender. Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth, and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth. Stir in wine and next 4 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often, 15 minutes. Add meatballs, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.