Crab Apple Cranberry Meatballs

Serve these Crab Apple Cranberry Meatballs as a holiday appetizer and watch just how quickly they disappear! Store-bought frozen meatballs are paired with frozen cranberries, apple juice, and a jar of jelly to make a very delicious and festive party favourite!

This is one of those recipes that I almost feel guilty about posting. It’s one that doesn’t really require any skill. All of the ingredients are whole, store-bought, prepared ingredients, which means you don’t have too much to make these Crab Apple Cranberry Meatballs come to life. All you need are frozen meatballs, crab apple jelly, apple juice, frozen cranberries, and cinnamon sticks. That’s it!

If you can your own jellies, or if you happen to have access to a crab apple tree, you’re going to love this recipe. The first summer we owned our home, we were excited to discover a crab apple tree in the backyard. We patiently waited until early September and picked all of the crab apples we could. I had full intentions of making Crab Apple Jelly.

I spent all afternoon washing them and chopping them. Before long, it was too late in the day to start making jelly. The weekend was over and it was back to work in the morning. I placed the prepared crab apples in large Ziploc bags and stashed them in the freezer. My intention was to make jelly the following weekend.

Months later, the frozen crab apples went into the compost. The following summer, however, I was determined to not let that happen again! I turned that summer’s crop into many beautiful jars of deep, merlot-looking, red crab apple jelly. I don’t eat a lot of jellies, but John.e does at breakfast; I love to cook with it though. Using fruit or berry jellies in savoury sauces is a great way to add both sweetness and flavour at the same time all with just that one ingredient.

I’m going to tell you all about this appetizer and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re just kicking off the holiday season, but I have a lot of Christmas-themed recipes to share with you this year, so I’ve got to get started early. So, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for this recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 CHRISTMAS APPETIZERS SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the second of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! I’m calling this one Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers. This series will focus on easy-to-make appetizers that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require some baking, but they won’t be so complex that you can’t whip them up just before your guests arrive. Some are just assembly-type recipes, while others can be prepared in advance.

Just like every other holiday series that I’ve shared over the years, this series will see a new recipe shared every day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday appetizers year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Appetizers series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always take a look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Some of my favourites from previous years are my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas, my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Meatballs – You can make your own meatballs, or you can use store-bought frozen meatballs. If you want, you can use vegetarian meatballs too!
• Fresh or Frozen Cranberries – If using fresh cranberries, pick through the cranberries and select the best-looking ones – they should be firm and deep red in colour. Wash them in a strainer under cold running water and drain well before using. Frozen cranberries should also be rinsed under cold running water before use.
• Crab Apple Jelly – I’m using my homemade crab apple jelly which you can find here. Any store-bought fruit or berry jelly will work too. Keep in mind that the flavour of the jelly will change the flavour of your meatballs.
• Apple Juice – Any apple juice will do here.
• Cinnamon Sticks – A couple of whole cinnamon sticks thrown into the pot will add depth to this savoury, sweet appetizer.

HOW TO MAKE CRAB APPLE CRANBERRY MEATBALLS

This is a super easy appetizer that comes together quickly with the help of a skillet. Here’s how to do it! Transfer the crab apple jelly and apple juice to a large skillet. Over medium-high heat, whisk the two ingredients together until the jelly is almost fully dissolved into the apple juice. Next, add in the frozen meatballs and tuck in the cinnamon sticks. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the cranberries. Continue to boil, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and reduces. This should take about 15 minutes. Once done, transfer the meatballs to a serving bowl. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. Spoon some of the sauce over the meatballs and transfer the remaining sauce to a serving bowl for dipping.

Garnish and serve warm with a supply of cocktail forks or toothpicks.

USE EITHER HOMEMADE, STORE-BOUGHT OR EVEN VEGETARIAN MEATBALLS!

This specific recipe does not come complete with a recipe for homemade meatballs. And, there’s good reason! I have not perfected a real meatball to date, because we don’t eat them! John.e is a vegetarian, so whenever we have meatballs, they’re always vegetarian.

I just realized that I do not have a homemade meatball recipe posted on my blog! I’m such a slacker! It’s now on my list of things to do. Wait, I should clarify that I don’t have a meatball recipe with real meat. I do, however, have a vegetarian meatball recipe that works very well in this recipe. I even have a cauliflower version, which has not been tested in this recipe, so you’re assuming all of the risks.

Most of us have a homemade meatball recipe that was passed down to us by someone in our family. Feel free to use that recipe. If you don’t have such a recipe and you want to make meatballs from scratch, consider using this recipe here.

As previously mentioned, you can use frozen meatballs too. Just be sure to cook them according to the instructions on the package before assembling the bombs. Good news for vegetarians!!! Frozen vegetarian meatballs will work perfectly in this recipe. You can make this dish a vegetarian meal that’s hearty, wholesome, and one the whole family can eat. I have made these with vegetarian meatballs and they are really delicious.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!