Turkey Cocktail Meatballs

by Dan George at December 19, 2014 8:00 am

If youre looking for the perfect holiday appetizer, look no further than these turkey cocktail meatballs with cranberry
glaze!
The homemade cranberry glaze cooks in a few hours in the slow cooker and then you can throw the meatballs right in
and let them get all glazed up.
This was my first attempt at making homemade cranberry sauce. To be honest, my favorite kind is the stuff out of the
can. I know, it pains some people to hear me say that, but I cant help it. Its what I had growing up and it kind of stuck
with me.
But I came up with the perfect solution. I made homemade cranberry sauce that tastes like the kind from the can! Its a
little bit better than the canned version, I will admit. Not as much sugar for one, and for two, it has bourbon.
But it still is sweet, with a little tartness from the orange zest and of course from the cranberries. I pulled out my handy
Better Zester that I received from KitchenIQ to grate my oranges. These graters are pretty rock star - the blade of the
grater is extra sharp, so zesting is a breeze.

You start by making the cranberry sauce in your slow cooker. Basically add in all the ingredients and give it a stir. Set it
to high for three hours and then puree with stick blender until its smooth.
In the meantime you can start the turkey meatballs. They do taste better to me if you pan fry them first an extra step
but definitely worth it.
Since the turkey meat is really moist I sprayed my hands with cooking spray first before I started rolling so they wouldnt
stick and make a mess.
After theyre browned you can set them aside until your sauce is ready and then add them to the slow cooker.
You can let them go for six hours on low or theyll be done in two on high.
These turkey meatballs with cranberry glaze are a perfect appetizer for any holiday dinner you might be hosting or you
could even serve them with rice or noodles for dinner!

Turkey Cocktail Meatballs Recipe

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Ingredients
For the Cranberry Sauce:
5 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup bourbon, or whiskey
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons sour cream
4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs

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1 clove garlic, large, minced

1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
olive oil, for frying

Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Add all the ingredients for the cranberry sauce into a large slow cooker.
Stir and set to high heat for 3 hours.
Puree with a stick blender (or let cool and transfer in batches to a blender) until smooth.
Mix all the ingredients together for the meatballs in a large bowl.
Add some olive oil to a large skillet and heat up over medium-high heat.
Spray your hands with cooking spray and roll the meatballs into small 1 1/2" inch rounds. I used a 1
tablespoon scoop to measure them out evenly.
7. Brown the meatballs on all sides and set them aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
8. Add the meatballs to your slow cooker, pushing them down gently to make sure theyre all covered in the
cranberry sauce.
9. Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4-6.

Recommended Equipment

KitchenIQ Better Zester

2014 Food Fanatic

KitchenAid Slow Cooker

NFL Team Crock-Pot Slow

Cooker

12" Clongs