Steelers' Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sunday afternoon the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers. For Steeler fans, these easy-to-make-ahead meatballs with chipped spinach and golden raisins are a metaphor for the dominance of their team over the Green and Gold. For the rest of us here at Potluck Paradise headquarters, they are just a great meatball that keeps in the fridge for a few days and freezes nicely for a month or more in the sauce. Baking the meatballs in the oven eliminates the need to fry them on top of the stove. A method we love here at PP headquarters for efficiency and neatness!

Steelers’ Sweet and Sour Meatballs

For the Meatballs:
1 9-ounce package frozen GREEN spinach, thawed
1/2 cup GOLDEN raisins
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup orange juice
2 whole eggs, or 3 egg whites
2 1/4 pounds 90% lean ground beef

For the Sauce:
1 14-16 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cups white wine or apple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup cold water

To Serve:
1 jar cooked red cabbage
Leaves of Romaine lettuce

Preheat oven to 400 degreed F. Thaw the spinach and wring out until very dry. Put spinach and raisins in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Or chop with a knife. Put the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl and stir in the seasonings. Stir in the orange juice and let stand a couple of minutes until the juice is completely absorbed. Stir in the spinach raisin mixture and the eggs. Then add the ground beef. Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Form beef mixture into balls, about the size of a large walnut. Place on sheet and spray tops of meatballs with cooking spray before putting into the oven. Bake until internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160 degrees F. and the tops are browned.

While meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Put cranberry sauce, wine or juice, brown sugar and vinegar into a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until cranberry sauce is melted. While this is cooking, combine the cold water and corn starch into a smooth mixture. Gradually stir it into the sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens and turns transparent.

When meatballs are fully cooked, gently place them in the sauce and stir to cover them. Allow to cool and then refrigerate before serving.

To serve. Heat the red cabbage and meatballs. Wash the Romaine lettuce leaves and dry. Place a dollop of cabbage on leaf and then one or two meatballs. Fold up leaf to eat and enjoy!

Copyright 2011 Rae Katherien Eighmey All rights reserved