3 Ingredient Grape Jelly Meatballs Recipe - (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put grape jelly in meatballs? ›

To make these sweet and tangy meatballs, you'll need: Grape jelly: For a sweetness that balances the chili sauce, and to provide a glossy finish to the sauce. Chili sauce: Tomato paste, spices, and garlic give this sauce its depth. Barbecue sauce: Thickens the sauce while complementing the jelly and chili sauce.

To thicken runny grape jelly meatball sauce, mix up a teaspoon of cornstarch (or even two depending on how thick you want things) with an equal amount of water. Stir this into the bubbling meatball mixture during the last hour they're in the slow cooker.

Use 1/4 cup honey instead of jelly for a a little healthier alternative (add more or less to to taste). Make cranberry meatballs with leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. Sub an equal amount of cranberry sauce for grape jelly. Use 2 packages of little smokies instead of meatballs.

Toss the meatballs in a spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce, serve over cooked pasta and garnish with parmesan cheese for an Italian style feast. Orange marmalade, grape jelly or honey garlic sauce will add the perfect sweet flavour to your meatballs.

Let stand in the refrigerator until set. Store in the freezer. To remake cooked jam or jelly without added pectin, for each 1 L (4 cups) jam or jelly add 25 mL (2 tbsp) bottled lemon juice. Heat to boiling and boil jam or jelly hard 3 to 4 minutes, then test for signs of gelling.

The Key to Tender Meatballs

Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat. This binder (aka panade) helps add moisture to the meatballs and also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and becoming tough.

Why are they called baby shower meatballs? Baby shower meatballs are just meatballs that people like to eat at baby showers. They're a yummy snack that's easy to eat with your fingers. They're not special meatballs, they just get called that because they're often served at baby showers.

To make your meatballs softer, add a little liquid such as milk or applesauce or tomato sauce. To make your meatballs firmer, add more breadcrumbs. Run another taste test after each adjustment. Once the meatballs are how you want them, you're ready to start shaping.

Lean meats, like ground turkey or very lean ground beef, can result in drier meatballs. Consider using a mix of lean and fattier meats, like a blend of ground beef with some ground pork or veal, for juicier meatballs.

Grapes are best frozen in syrup, but grapes to be used for juice or jelly can be frozen without sweetening. To freeze grapes: Choose tender skin, firm, sweet grapes with full color and flavor. Sort, remove stems and wash. Leave seedless grapes whole; cut table grapes with seeds in half and remove seeds.

What can I do with grape jelly that doesn't set? ›

The first option is to unseal your jars and re-cook the jelly. Add more sugar, add some pectin, and you'll get your gel. Resterilize your jars, top with new lids, and process again.

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

I find that baking them and then finishing them in the sauce is the best method. Baking them ensures even cooking and browning as well as good flavor development. Throwing them into the sauce for a few minutes before serving flavors the sauce and keeps the meatballs moist and delicious.

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Yes, grape jelly can be healthy because of its pectin and antioxidants, which promote better digestion. Even versions containing less sugar, like our sugar free grape jelly, still make it the ultimate energy booster.

A binder is like the glue that helps hold meatballs together and keep their shape. Breadcrumbs and eggs are the most common binder to use for meatballs. Bread soaked in milk (called a panade) is another traditional type of binder. Without a binder, the meat is likely to fall apart like you're finding.

It's lingonberry season and the small sour berries that thrive best in cold climates are ready to be picked. Swedes love eating the jam made from lingonberries with meatballs, mashed potatoes and cream sauce.