Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Thanksgiving Meal Meatballs with a Cranberry Glaze

The temperatures are starting to dip down into chillier and thoughts are starting to turn to the bounty of harvest- root vegetables, squash, sweet tart cranberries and all things paired with sage.  Yes- one might say it's becoming the best time of the year ;-).  Friends and I decided to celebrate this bountious season with a Fall Themed potluck dinner, and I was awarded the appetizer course.  I played with a variety of ideas for weeks - soups and small bites mesmerized my brain and then I finally settled on my offering.  The first would be Thanksgiving Meal Meatballs with a Cranberry Glaze.

Our menu for the night was based around Thanksgiving favorites, but we had opted for a Cuban classic pork entree (a very wise idea) instead of the traditional turkey, so I
thought I wanted to bring in those traditional flavors.  The result had the beauty of sage and turkey meat together with a hint of savory onion, the sweetness of apple and then a little indulgence with sharp cheddar cheese. 

1 lb ground turkey meat
3/4 of a Granny Smith apple, pealed and chopped
2 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, diced
1 tsp onion powder
1/3 cup chopped fresh sage
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 egg

Pre Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine the ingredients, starting with just a cup of bread crumbs and adding more until the mixture sticks together but isnt wet.  Form small meatballs, about an inch in circumfrance and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 20- 30 minutes dending on the size of your meatballs.

Cranberry Glaze

1 cup cranberry sauce (prepare via the instructions on package of cranberries)
2 tbsp fresh orange zest
1 tsp molasses

Combine ingredients, and blend until smooth.  Spoon or pour over the baked meatballs and serve. 

2 comments:

Jen said...

So glad you wrote this recipe down - these were really good. Literally like TG in one bite!

Megan @ Cooking Whims said...

Sounds amazing!!! I love new twists on meatballs, and the Thanksgiving spin sounds wonderful.

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