#SundaySupper ~ Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs

September 23, 2012 By 98 Comments

Happy #SundaySupper! This week the #SundaySupper crew went apple picking and brought back tons of juicy apples for some delicious fall recipes.

Now, I didn’t actually pick my own apples. I may have cheated a bit (gasp!) and took a trip to my local orchard, Weber’s, and grabbed an already picked basket of honey crisp apples and a half gallon of fresh apple cider. It’s always nice when someone else does the hard labor for you.

When I heard this week’s theme was apples, I instantly thought dessert: apple pie, caramelized apples, stuffed apples, apple crisp, apple this, and apple that. It all sounded delicious, but I wanted to create something outside the box, so I decided on apple cider glazed meatballs. They’re savory, sweet, and just plain old yummy. They’re also extremely versatile. You can serve them as a main course for dinner, stick a tooth pick in them for Sunday night football (our favorite way to eat them), or pile them on a piece of crusty bread for a sandwich. Either way, they’re delicious.

Honey crisp apples are my apple of choice in the fall. They’re the perfect balance of sweet and tart with a crisp, juicy center. When I go apple picking, I head straight for the red-green orbs dangling from the apple trees.

I decided to use ground turkey for this recipe since it goes so well with apples. I mixed ground turkey with a generous amount of garlic, cayenne, and shredded honey crisp apples. They  get baked until they’re perfectly brown and crispy on the outside, then tossed in a sweet apple cider glaze. The result is a sweet and savory tender meatball.

Enjoy!

Make sure you visit the other #SundaySupper members for more apple recipes:

Soups, Salads, Starters and Breads

Main Meals

Sides

Desserts

Beverages

Join us around the family table for our #SundaySupper Twitter chat at 7 p.m. EST tonight to talk about our favorite apple recipes. You can follow us all day using the #SundaySupper hashtag for delicious dinner ideas.  

Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup shredded apple (see note)
3 tbs. onion, finely diced
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix to combine. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place the meatballs on a cookie grate on top of an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Note- After shredding the apple, place in a paper towel of clean kitchen towel and squeeze out juice.

Glaze:

1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 tbs. apple butter
3 tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbs. chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions

In a small bowl, add all of the ingredients, except the scallions. Whisk to combine.

Add the mixture to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let simmer for 2 minutes until the glaze thickens. Add the meatballs to the pan and let cook for 1 minute to coat. Top with chopped scallions.

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

 

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