Hello Party Meatballs! Who says you can only eat meatballs with sauce and spaghetti? I mean, you can, but they’re also amazing in other ways.
This is maple meatball recipe is my go-to party meatball recipe. It’s also great when we’re having meatballs as a main dish (no noodles required!)
If you don’t have a none-spaghetti meatball recipe in your collection, you should bookmark this one. Seriously 🙂
There are so many reasons I like these, but I’ll share just a few. These meatballs are BIG on flavor. The sauce combines soy sauce, maple syrup, dijon mustard and ketchup. This may not sound like a winning combination, but trust me. It is. The end result is a slightly sweet meatball that will make you come back for more.
Another great thing about these is that they’re baked, not fried. That makes them a touch healthier, and much easier to cook and clean-up. They’re also great for freezing
If you’re looking for a main dish or an appetizer for your next party. Give these a try. I think you’ll really like them.
Best Type of Meat for Party Meatballs
What makes meat juicy and flavorful? The answer may surprise you (hint: it’s not the sauce). Fat is what makes meat juicy and flavorful. This isn’t something people usually want to hear, but with beef, fat equals flavor.
However, when making party meatballs, you need to be careful that you use slightly leaner meat so that they’re not sitting in a lot of fat while cooking. Otherwise, the sauce won’t shine through.
Typically, we like to use beef for this recipe that’s either 85/15 or 90/10. When cooking ground beef for other recipes, we sometimes like other lean ratios.
Tips for Making Party Meatballs
- You can make these in advance and then freeze them. Put them on a try in a single layer and place the tray in the freezer. Once frozen, place them in a freezer bag until you’re ready to use them. To thaw, place them in the refrigerator until thawed. Then, place in the oven to reheat and serve immediately.
- Don’t be thrown by the sauce ingredients with maple syrup, soy sauce and ketchup. It just adds a nice, lightly sweet background flavor and gives a nice consistency to the sauce.
Party Meatballs – Maple Meatballs
Ingredients
MEATBALL Ingredients:
- 3 slices bread
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons horseradish
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- Salt and pepper
SAUCE Ingredients:
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
Meatball Instructions:
- Soak bread in milk
- Add remaining ingredients and form into balls.
- Place on cookie sheet and bake at 450-degrees for 10 minutes.
- Drain excess grease from meatballs, if any.
Sauce Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients together to make sauce.
- Coat meatballs thoroughly with the sauce.
- Place in oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, plate and garnish with parsley.
One more thing!
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