Cranberry Meatballs

Meatballs are one of my favorite appetizers for any occasion. For this version, I swapped cranberry sauce in for the jelly in my Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs. It gives them a definite "holiday" vibe, but in reality they work all year round.

I first made them because I had extra cranberry sauce left over after the holidays and wanted to use it up. I discovered a version just as easy that I think I like even more.

Ingredients needed for these Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

• Meatballs, cooked (store-bought, or make your own with my Freezer Meatballs)
• Cranberry sauce (I usually use jellied, but whole berry works too)
• BBQ sauce

How to Make Cranberry BBQ Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

Put a 14 oz can of cranberry sauce and 18 oz of BBQ sauce (about 2 cups) in a large slow cooker. Stir them together.

Add 2 pounds of frozen meatballs and stir gently to coat them in the sauce. The sauce may look a little chunky from the cranberry sauce. Don't worry about it, because the chunks dissolve with heat.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 4 to 6 hours, until heated through. When the sauce is bubbly, the meatballs are ready to serve. Lower the heat while you serve.

If you freshly baked the meatballs instead of starting from frozen, the mixture only needs about 1.5 to 2 hours to get hot. Bubbly sauce still tells you when they're ready.

Serving Suggestions and Variations

These fit into any appetizer spread, and they're especially good at the holidays. I also like them as a meal, served with rice and a veggie side or salad.

Whole berry cranberry sauce works just as well if that's what you have on hand. If you'd rather stick with the original, try my Grape Jelly BBQ Meatballs.

How to Store Cranberry Sauce Meatballs

Let the meatballs cool completely. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

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Cranberry Meatballs

These easy meatballs are made with cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce, cooked in the slow cooker until hot and bubbly. A great game day or holiday appetizer!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 20

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Sula

Ingredients

• 2 pounds frozen meatballs
• 14 oz cranberry sauce, jellied
• 18 oz BBQ sauce about 2 cups

Instructions

• Place the cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce in a large slow cooker.
  14 oz cranberry sauce, jellied, 18 oz BBQ sauce
• Add meatballs and stir gently to coat.
  2 pounds frozen meatballs
• Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 4-6 hours, until heated through. Sauce will be bubbly. Lower heat while serving.

Notes

Serving size is approximately 3 meatballs.

I use jellied cranberry sauce but whole berry sauce works as well.

If your meatballs are freshly cooked and not frozen, it will only take about 1.5 to 2 hours for the meatballs to heat through. When the sauce is bubbly, you can turn to heat to "warm" and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.