Sweet Chili Meatballs
December 4, 2018 by Nicole Collins
It's Day 4, and we're making a party staple with a twist!
Today, we're breaking out the slow cooker. So, you already know that means we're not working too hard today!
Funny story first. Don't ask me how. Don't ask me why. But, I have 4 slow cookers (and 1 Instant Pot).
So, technically 5 slow cookers.
Yup, 5.
I've haven't always set out to have a gazillion slow cookers. In fact, for YEARS I've only had 2: a 7 qt one (which was my first one, is WAY too big for me 99% of the time, and I rarely ever use) and a 5 qt one (which I use ALL of the time). Within the past year, I've added a little 2.5 qt one to take on the go to heat dips and such (totally necessary) and the Instant Pot (which I had to have but have actually not even used yet).
I know...
And then, I found the beauty that you see in today's pics...The Pioneer Woman slow cooker. As soon as I saw it, I sent an ecstatic text to my friend (who knows I'm obsessed with Ree and all things in The Pioneer Woman line), and her response was “I wasn't going to tell you...”
And that brings us to today...5 slow cookers scattered throughout my house, and I still have the desire for at least one more. I need that trio set of mini slow cookers, preferably the ones that disconnect so you can stack them and move them around and such. Not want, NEED.
You reading that, Santa?
Though my goal one day is to have all 5 slow cookers going at once (I don't even know if I have that many outlets in my kitchen), we're only breaking out one today. And, that's to make Sweet Chili Meatballs!
A classic party appetizer is slow cooker meatballs, because they're just so easy. Take some store bought frozen meatballs, throw them in the slow cooker, cover them with sauce, walk away for 4-8 hours. You couldn't break a sweat if you tried!
Today, we're doing exactly that. But, we're giving these an Asian spin by using sweet chili sauce and hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is kind of like an Asian bbq sauce. It's got lots of flavor thanks to sesame, soy, and garlic. And, it gives these meatballs the nice deep colored glaze that coats the outside of the meatballs.
Despite having sweet chili sauce in the mix, these really aren't spicy at all! They're more along the lines of a rich, tangy, sweet and sour type flavor. And, you can easily jazz these up by serving them with some fancy toothpicks and giving them a garnish of chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
Here's a reminder of what else we've made so far:
Day 1: Holiday Charcuterie Boxes
Day 2: Honey Goat Cheese Tartlettes
Day 3: Chicken and Donut Bites
Alright, everyone! Tomorrow, we're going to kick up the heat level a smidge, so get ready.
But for now, let's eat!
Sweet Chili Meatballs
Serves: 27-30 meatballs Print
Ingredients:
1 bag (28 oz) frozen meatballs
¾ cup sweet chili sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 green onion, sliced, for garnish
sesame seeds, for garnish
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk sweet chili sauce and hoisin sauce until combined. Pour frozen meatballs in to the bowl of a slow cooker. Pour sauce over top of the meatballs, and toss to coat. Cook on low for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, give the meatballs a toss. Place the lid back on the slow cooker, and cook for another 1-2 hours longer on low.
When ready to serve, garnish the meatballs with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Recipe notes:
*When you're ready to serve, you could leave these in the slow cooker on the warm setting to keep them nice and warm with some cute toothpicks on the side for your guests.
*You can use your choice of beef, turkey, or mixed meatballs. However, don't get the Italian seasoned meatballs. It'll interfere with all of our yummy Asian flavors.
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