Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce With Meatballs

This is even better served the following day, I have even added in two cans of tomato soup and canned mushrooms, this is absolutely delicious, you will love this! Please adjust the cider vinegar and brown sugar along with all other ingredients to taste. Prep time does not include shaping meatballs.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 55 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2  lbs ground beef (shaped into meatballs using your favorite recipe, I use my Parmesan meatball Kittencal's Italian Melt-In-Your-Mouth Meatballs for this)
•  oil (for frying)
• 1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (20 ounce) can  tomato soup (undiluted)
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth or 1 (14 ounce) can  beef consomme
• 1  large onion, finely chopped
• 1 -2  tablespoon  fresh minced garlic (or to taste)
• 1 -2  teaspoon  dried chili pepper flakes (optional or to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 -4  tablespoons cider vinegar (or to taste)
• 1  green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil on a large Dutch oven.
2. In a Dutch oven or a very large frypan, brown the meatballs well in hot oil then remove to a bowl.
3. Add in the onion, garlic and dryed chili flakes and saute for about 4-5 minutes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
4. Add in tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add the stewed tomatoes with their juice, crushing the tomatoes slightly with the back of the spoon, drained diced tomatoes, undiluted tomato soup, broth or consomme, brown sugar, cider vinegar and chopped green peppers; mix to combine and bring to a boil.
6. Add in browned meatballs back to the pot.
7. Simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, adjusting all ingredients to taste and seasoning with salt and pepper.
8. Spoon any fat off the top of the sauce.
9. Serve with rice or noodles.
10. Delicious!