Cranberry Ginger-Garlic Party Meatballs

Use your own favorite meatball recipe to make this. The amounts listed is enough for 2 pounds ground beef, you should get anywhere from 45-50 (1-inch) meatballs, if you are serving a crowd of people then I suggest to use 3 pounds of beef. Serve the meatballs in a chafing dish with long toothpicks or in a small crockpot. If desired you can saute the fresh garlic in the butter first, and then add in the remaining ingredients. This is always a favorite at get togethers!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 45-50

Ingredients

• 2 -3  lbs lean ground beef
• 2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained and reserve juice
• 4  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4  brown sugar brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons  minced fresh garlic (adjust amount of garlic to taste)
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 -3  tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2  tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 -2  teaspoon ginger powder (start by adding in only 1 teaspoon, adjusting to taste)
• 1 (250 ml) bottle  Russian salad dressing
• 4  cups cranberry sauce (I just use the whole can!)
• 2  green bell peppers, seeded and chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare the ground beef with your favorite meatball recipe.
2. Shape into about 1-inch balls (or as desired).
3. Place on a baking sheet and brown to about HALF cooked, just enough to release the fat (maintain oven heat to 350 degrees).
4. In a saucepan combine reserved pineapple juice, butter, brown sugar, minced fresh garlic, cornstarch, cider vinegar, soy sauce and ginger (start with 1 teaspoon ginger powder) Russian Dressing and cranberry sauce; bring to a boil, simmer and cook until the mixture is thickened and bubbly (about 10-15 minutes) stirring occasionally.
5. Grease a casserole dish (large enough to hold the mixture).
6. Place the semi-cooked meatballs in the dish with the sauce, pineapple chunks and chopped bell peppers; stir gently with a wooden spoon to coat the meatballs.
7. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked completely.
8. *NOTE* if you find that the sauce is too sweet, then add in another tablesooon cider vinegar and simmer on top of the stove for anoth couple of minutes or so.