Description
These festive Christmas Meatballs combine savory lean ground beef with dried cranberries and a flavorful cranberry sauce, making them a perfect appetizer or party dish during the holidays. The meatballs are quickly cooked in the microwave, then simmered in a tangy and sweet sauce for a deliciously easy and crowd-pleasing treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
Sauce
- 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, onion soup mix, seasoned bread crumbs, chopped dried cranberries, and minced fresh parsley. Add the lean ground beef and mix lightly but thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Shape meatballs: Form the mixture into 1-inch diameter meatballs, setting them aside on a plate or tray as you go.
- Cook meatballs in microwave: Place about a third of the meatballs on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with waxed paper and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Drain cooked meatballs on paper towels and repeat this process two more times with the remaining meatballs.
- Prepare sauce: In a 2-quart microwave-safe dish, combine whole-berry cranberry sauce, ketchup, beef broth, brown sugar, finely chopped onion, and cider vinegar. Cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until heated through, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
- Combine meatballs with sauce: Gently stir the cooked meatballs into the heated sauce. Cover and microwave on high for an additional 1-2 minutes to heat the meatballs through and meld the flavors together.
Notes
- For a crispier texture, meatballs can be briefly browned in a skillet before microwaving.
- Use gluten-free bread crumbs to make the recipe gluten free.
- Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently in the microwave.
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of ground black pepper or garlic powder to the meatball mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
