Hawaiian Meatballs

I tried something new last week...got this recipe off of Facebook...A sweet girl I used to drive to school when she was in 7th grade...now she's a wife, mom of 2 1/2, and shared this recipe with me...Again, no pics...they ate it before I could plate it! It was really good!

Hawaiian Meatballs

1 lb. meatballs
2 2/3 c. beef broth (I double most sauce recipes...we like 'em saucy! So her amount was 1 1/3 c. which she says is one 10.5 ounce can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks (didn't double this)
1/2 c. red wine vinegar (didn't have any, so I used apple cider vinegar)
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
2 c. green bell pepper (I had orange cut up and frozen, so I thawed and that is what I used)
2 Tbsp. corn starch mixed with 1/4 c. cool water - mix to make a slurry

Put meatballs in large saucepan. Combine all ingredients except cornstarch in a bowl, then pour over meatballs. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add the cornstarch slurry and return to boil until thickened. Serve over rice.

I kept the meatballs out, mixed and thickened the sauce, heated the meatballs separately (some only like beef, some only like turkey), and put meatballs and then sauce on the rice.

Make Ahead Meatballs

This is a make a great recipe for a meal now, and meals later. I have a senior high school football player that is a "fat hawk". He has found that if he limits fat, he has less digestive issues, and becomes lean and mean. So, he eats lots of pasta, lots of sub rolls, and, if I have a bag of these on hand, he gets protein, and gets full. Remember, I said a senior high school football player!

Meatballs Made Ahead

4 eggs (yes, I keep in the yolks...shhh...don't tell him!)
2 cups dried bread crumbs (at first, I purchased, but making them yourself...so easy, and cheap!)
1 T. salt
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 t. ground white pepper (my guys like heat!)
4 pounds lean ground meat (I made two batches, one with 93% lean ground beef, and one with 90% lean ground turkey)

In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper and mix well. Then, crumble the meat in the bowl and mix well, till liquid and meat are very distributed. Then add the bread crumbs. This make take some "hand work" but if you mix up the liquid into the meat, it is not too bad, or too messy. Use scoop and then shape into 1"-2" balls. Place on foil or parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake at 400f. for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool.

I take a meal's worth (I use 12) and put them in a zip type freezer bag and then store in the freezer. When you are hungry, it takes just a few minutes to warm them and put them in your favorite sauce. We have tried, of course, marinara (Ragu is a favorite) or my own, barbecue sauce. This time, I used the recipe for Hawaiian Meatballs, and it was awesome!