Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs are tangy, a little spicy, and absolutely delicious! Perfect appetizer for a crowd or serve over mashed potatoes for a complete meal.
A teacher of 30 years penned this:
In the world of hi-tech gadgetry, I’ve noticed that more and more people who send text messages and emails have long forgotten the art of capitalization. For those of you who fall into this category, please take note of the following statement… “Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.” Is everybody clear on that?
Oh, how this made me laugh. And the best part – my Dad sent it to me.
That’s what I have for you today – a joke, a lesson is grammar, and these Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs.
Super simple, super tasty, perfect finger food. As my daughter would say, “Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.” She gets that from her awesome Kindergarten teacher.
Cranberry Meatballs Ingredients
You only need 5 simple ingredients to make this cranberry meatball recipe:
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Jellied cranberry sauce (the best homemade cranberry sauce or canned)
- Chili sauce
- Italian meatballs (my favorite homemade meatball recipe or store bought)
How to Make Cranberry Meatballs
It could not be easier to make these crockpot meatballs! You simply place frozen meatballs into a greased crockpot, combine all the sauce ingredients, pour them over the meatballs, toss to coat, and then cook on low for a few hours.
These meatballs are great enjoyed as an appetizer, but I often serve them over cooked rice or mashed potatoes as a weeknight meal. My family loves them!
Other Meatball Recipes
- Italian Meatballs
- Sweet Hot and Sour Cocktail Meatballs
- Skillet Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 16 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce (or homemade cranberry sauce)
- 3 tablespoons chili sauce
- 80 Italian meatballs (homemade meatballs or store bought)
Instructions
- Coat a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, cranberry sauce, and chili sauce.
- Place frozen meatballs in the slow cooker; pour sauce over the top and gently toss to coat.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring once or twice toward the end to prevent any burning.
- Serve on their own as an appetizer or over mashed potatoes or rice for a complete meal.
Nutrition
Other Notes
Im making these today and putting them right into a crockpot after cooking them in the oven so they wont be frozen. Do I still cook for 3-4 in the crock pot?
Hi Dawn – no, if they’re cooked and warm already, they only need to be in crock pot until the sauce is hot and has thickened, about half the time, still tossing to coat 1-2 times so they don’t burn. (If you won’t be serving them right away, make sure set the slow cooker to the warm setting. The meatballs can be kept warm for up to 2 hours. Check on the meatballs occasionally and stir. Add a splash of water if sauce seems to be dry.)
Your recipe calls for “chili sauce”. You mean like Heinz chili sauce or something else altogether? Thanks!
My husband is diabetic, so I was checking the Carbs and Sugar, this recipe looks like a winner, good job..
I need a white board to remind me of the stuff I’m supposed to try from your blog. I love the grape jelly/ chili sauce meatballs. These sound divine.
Growing up i was at a wedding where instead of cranberry sauce they used grape jelly. This became a staple in are family from then on and has for ever been dawned sweet n sour meatballs. Just wanted to share. :)
Valuable capitalization lesson learned! And love these little meatballs. May have to add them to my super bowl spread.
This has to be the best post ever, hands down. Commas save lives, too. Case in point: “Let’s eat Grandma!” vs. “Let’s eat, Grandma!”
HEE. Good one!
I just died laughing a little bit. I almost majored in English in college, so I do try to hang on to decent grammar most of the time…and now I won’t be able to get that joke out of my head. Thank you for that? I think?
Now that is TOTALLY the kind of thing my dad would send me also. We actually send perverse jokes to each other all day long. It’s a good thing he works for an Italian bank and they’re super lax about internet security…otherwise he’d be in BIG trouble.
Can tomorrow’s grammar lesson be punctuation?
In the last few months I’ve become OBSESSED with my crockpot. Even made some meatballs kinda like this. BUT, I confess, I bought the actual meatball. I hang my head in shame. Ok, not really, BUT, you’ve inspired me to remake it, and make the meatballs, MYSELF!
That is hilarious! I think one of the girls I work with made similar meatballs at our holiday party and they were really really good! I will have to save this recipe.
I’m trying to decide if I can send that quote to my language arts teacher here at school!
Hahaha! Yes. Capitalization is indeed important. I’ll have to remember that great example from your Dad. =) And those meatballs look like exactly the thing I want to encounter at every single party I ever go to.
I was just surfing the net, looking for some ideas on foods to bring to a Super Bowl party (even if my beloved Steelers aren’t playing) Guess what I’m going to make!!! Thank you, Amy!!!
I’ve got more stuff coming for Superbowl, so you’ll have options! But these…these were YUM-O. Definitely include them.
Sounds heavenly will try these
bwahahahahaha!!! {laughing hysterically} That’s too funny. I love it!!
AND I love the look of those meatballs. Meatballs in the slow cooker are one of those yummy treats that I always look forward to at party time!
O.M.G. Cranberry meatballs AND Mongolian crockpot! I am going nuts. Too, too yummy and EASY. Thank you from the 3 pounds I’m going to gain and not even care!