Chipotle-Barbecue Meatballs

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Today I would like to share with you a new receipe that I made for my daughter-in-law's 30th birthday party last night. It was a hit! Not one meatball left in the dish. You can serve this as an appetizer, or, you could make this the main dish and serve mashed potatoes and a vegetable with it.

Chipotle-Barbecue Meatballs

Makes 12 to 14 Appetizer Servings (2-3 Meatballs a piece)
Prep: 10 min. Cook: 50 min.

1 (28-oz.) bottle barbecue sauce
1 (18-oz.) jar cherry preserves
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, undrained (put them in whole)
1 Tbsp. adobo sauce from can
1 (32-oz) package frozen meatballs

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients and 1 1/2 cups water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add meatballs; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer with lid off, stirring occasionally, 40 to 45 minutes. (Sauce will thicken.) Keep warm in a slow cooker on WARM or LOW, if desired. I put it in a casserole dish and microwaved it at my daughter-in-law's home for about 5 minutes. Put out fancy toothpicks and enjoy!

For a variation on the receipe try:

Chipotle-Barbecue Sausage Bites:

Substitute 2 (16 oz) packages cocktail-size smoked sausages for meatballs. Proceed with recipe as directed, decreasing water to 1/2 cup and simmering mixture 15 minutes. Makes 12 to 14 appetizer servings. Prep: 10 min., Cook: 20 min.