Kids Cook: Cocktail Meatballs

It's been forever since I've posted a recipe. I told Leighton I wanted to get back to posting one every Tuesday, like before (like a long, looong time ago before). That was months ago and I have yet to get back to posting recipes. 

Until today, that is.

Since the kiddos are taking turns cooking on Mondays now, I thought it would be fun to show off some of their yummy creations. Plus, it will get me back to posting recipes. It's a win-win! 

The oldest 2 kids cooked the first 2 weeks of the year and each did a fantastic job. Jake's main dish was Chinese chicken (along with rice, veggies, and buttermilk biscuits), and Alyssa made chili and cornbread. They each made a dessert, too, because when you get to pick the meal, you gotta add dessert!

This week was Zac's turn. He was a bit apprehensive to be the one in charge of the meal at only 7 years old, but got excited as soon as he started flipping through the recipes. For now, the kids are using the Gooseberry Patch 5-Ingredient Family Favorites cookbook since all the recipes are fairly easy and use 5 or fewer ingredients, making it the perfect option for them. 

Almost immediately, Zac said, "This one! I want to make this." It was a sweet & sour meatball appetizer. Why not? If other variations of meatballs can be the main dish, then by all means, so could these. I read over the ingredient list and realized that it was similar to one of my all-time favorite party foods. I grew up loving these tangy little balls and even asked my mom to make them for a Christmas get-together just a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, none of the kids had tried them that day. (I'm pretty sure they were too distracted by the chocolate fountain and all the yummy goodies they could dip in it, ha.) Zac determined that he wanted to try my beloved recipe instead of the one in the book.  

You need only 2 ingredients to make the sauce: chili sauce and grape jelly. If only you could have seen the look on the kids' faces when I told them! It seems like an odd combination, but it's so good. Most of the time I make my own meatballs, but since Zac was the cook, we used a bag of frozen, pre-made ones. You can use thawed or frozen, homemade or store-bought. No matter what, they are delicious. 

Zac did a great job making the sauce and was thrilled that you toss everything in the crockpot to thicken and coat. The hardest part was waiting for dinner! 

He also served mashed potatoes (received a lot of help with this) and roasted brussels sprouts (his absolute favorite vegetable). Dinner was delicious, but more important than that, his confidence in the kitchen multiplied. 

Yes, I loved his meatballs, but even more than that, I loved seeing the smile on his face when his older siblings told him what a great job he did. 

    

Cocktail Meatballs 

Ingredients:

12 oz. jar chili sauce

16 oz. jar grape jelly

2 lbs. meatballs, cooked

Directions:

Pour chili sauce and grape jelly in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until warm and thoroughly combined, whisking occasionally. Place meatballs in a crockpot and pour the sauce mixture on top. Cover and cook until heated through (high 2 hours - low 6 hours, approximately).