Meatballs make a great addition to your Super Bowl menu line-up- they're hearty and make a great snack. This recipe was created by Sean Knox, the Co-op Kitchen's lead cook and are full of flavor. They use ground beef, provided by Country Natural Beef, one of our local vendors, which is available for $3.59 per pound. (But come in now and buy 3 packs of ground beef and get $0.20 off per pound!) They are baked in the oven and then tossed in a homemade Chipotle BBQ Sauce.
For the sauce you'll need: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves of garlic minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup molasses (or brown sugar) 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 can chipotle in adobo, finely minced
Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, saute for one minute. Add spices and saute for another minute. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have combined. Remove from heat and blend in a food processor or blender, being cautious as the sauce will be hot.
To make the meatballs you'll need:
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, finely minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix by hand until fully incorporated. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place on a greased baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with the sauce in a large bowl. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy! (Makes 35-40, 1 inch meatballs.)
