Cocktail Meatballs

This is a very tasty recipe for meatballs, with the cranberry sauce representing a change from the run of the mill grape jelly recipe. I used seasoned bread crumbs, which added some nice flavor to the meatballs, and then baked them on a broiler tray, which allowed the fat to run off while they were baking. One recipe is enough to fill one of the small 1 to 2 quart crockpots. I made the meatballs 2 days ahead, and refrigerated them. The day of my party, I made the sauce, put the meatballs in the crockpot, added the sauce, and put the whole crock back in the fridge. About 2 hours before the party, I put the crock back in the warmer, and plugged it in. Voila! Easy and tasty. I was so impressed with the recipe, that I made an extra batch of the meatballs, and froze them. I will use them for another party in the next couple of weeks. I'll bet you could use ground turkey for a little less fat. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe!

Since I was serving 50+ and had several other dishes to prepare, I used storebought meatballs, and used this recipe for the sauce, cooking everything in a slowcooker. This was the biggest hit of the party, and many people asked for the recipe. It was sweet, but with a bit of a kick from the chili--unusual, but quite delicious, and it won my husband's "best he's ever had" compliment. A fantastic, but very simple recipe!

These were great! So great, I barely got to eat 2 of them myself - the guys just inhaled them! One thing that would make the recipe easier though, is some explanation of what is meant by "Chili Sauce". There are so many types of Chili Sauce out there - after searching, I found that Heinz makes something called "Chili Sauce". If you're like me and have never heard of this type of chili sauce, it's basically a vinegar-y, very mildly spiced-up version of ketchup - (sort of like cocktail sauce for shrimp?), w/a ketchup consistency. You can find it next to the ketchup in any big chain grocery. You can't go wrong with this recipe! I'm making it again for New Year's eve!

I, too, served these for my New Year's Day party and they were a hit. I also used the prepared, frozen meatballs. I'll bet the Little Smokies would be great in this sauce as well. Word of warning - do NOT use the Italian meatballs! The flavors fight each other and the sauce is the loser. Thanks for the recipe, Lara.

I cheated and used frozen meatballs and baked for 15 minutes while making the sauce in a sauce pan. The sauce comes out to be absolutely amazing that you wouldn't know if the meatballs where homemade or store bought. I added 1 tbsp. of worchestershire sauce and put the sauce and meatballs in a crockpot and put on low for a couple hours. It was a huge hit at the my friend's Xmas party. People where raving and asking for this recipe all night. They were the first things to be eaten up on the buffet table.

This sounded so good an usual, I decided to make them as an appetizer the Even of Thanksgiving. My husband had worked late, and I knew he was sure to be hungry the moment he walked in the door. I told him that dinner would be put on hold, as we were having appetizers, and a glass of wine together. I served the meatballs with fancy toothpicks, as well as cubed cheese and crackers. He asked for more and more of the meatballs until they were entirely gone!!! As he burbed politely...he said "this one's a keeper, honey"! Needless to say, supper will wait!!! Thanks so much for sharing this terrific recipe with all of us!

These were delicious! I bought 3 bags of frozen Armour meatballs - 25 meatballs per bag- and used 2 12 ounce bottles of Heinz chili sauce, 1 14 oz jellied cranberry sauce and doubled the sugar & lemon juice and the sauce/meatball ratio was perfect! Can't wait to make again!

I omitted the brown sugar and it tasted fine. Used frozen meatballs and simmerred in a crockpot for 3+ hours. It was great!

I'm 67 and this recipe has been around forever... they're always a hit, where ever I take them. Definitely bake the meatballs before adding them to the sauce. I bake mine 25 to 30 minutes. The correct chili sauce is a tomato based chili sauce, such as Heinz or Cross & Blackwell. Sometimes I use grape jelly in place of the cranberry sauce (same amount), also makes a very good sauce. If you are making this for a group, trust me you'll want to double, or even triple the recipe. People don't stop at 4 or 5, they just keep eating them until they're gone... especially the guys... LOL These are addictive!!!!!

These are great if you like a sweet meatball sauce. I used fresh bread crumbs to keep the meatballs moist. I baked these in the oven and just covered with the sauce during the last half of the baking time.

Chili sauce is usually found next to ketchup. Heinz is the only brand I've seen or used. It's in a round glass bottle. It's basically ketchup with a little extra spice, but definitely not anything like tabasco or hot sauce. If you had to substitute, you could use ketchup with extra onion and garlic added. Hope this helps!

ok, but my moms version is MUCH better

I made these for a Christmas party, and I think out of the whole spread, these were THE BEST thing at the party! Perfect amount of sweet and tangy. The only thing I changed was I added about 1/4 cup of Worceshire sauce, and then threw in a package of smoked Hillshire Farms "lil weenies" since I had them on hand and wanted the dish to go further. The smokey flavor on the weenies with the sweet tangy sauce was to die for! Enjoy!

Awesome! I didn't change a thing and wouldn't honestly these are just plain good and way easy to make!

Very good! I made these for my family's Christmas Eve get-together and received rave reviews. Even as I type this, I am making them for a second time for a Super Bowl party. I did buy pre-made meatballs which made the recipe extremely easy and fast. I threw everything into the crockpot (even used the meatballs frozen) on low for approx. 3 hours. Great recipe. Thanks!

I've been making a variation of this recipe for 20 years. It is not overly sweet and is a true sweet & sour. I hate sauerkraut but love this and nobody can guess that it is in it. It makes a thick sauce. SAUCE: 12 oz. jar Heinz Cili Sauce, i jar of water, 1 cup brown sugar, 16 oz. can WHOLE cranberry sauce, 1 cup drained sauerkraut. MEATBALLS: 2 lbs. extra lean ground beef, 1 pkg. onion soup mix, 2 eggs, 1 cup bread crumbs. Form into small meatballs (about 88) DO NOT BROWN!! Place in a 9X13 pan, mix sauce ingredients & pour over meatballs. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Check occassionally and stir if necessary.

Very good! 100 times better after the sauce sits over night! I used the Heinz chili sauce (oh & this recipe is on the bottle label...) I tripled the recipe and used frozen meatballs from costco (didnt have the energy or prepare 4-6lbs of meatballs..) The first night they were good, my husband ate em right up but I was not at all impressed. This statement sums it up perfectly: "Word of warning - do NOT use the Italian meatballs! The flavors fight each other and the sauce is the loser" Needless to say I used italian meatballs BEFORE reading the review....the flavors just didnt blend & the sauce was WAY TOO SWEET!!! HOWEVER, after sitting overnight and reheating the next day 100 TIMES BETTER! The flavors of the sauce 'blended' together much better & produced a great flavor that no longer was sooo sweet. Will make again!

There was nothing I liked about this recipe. I was very disappointed. When I try a 5-star recipe used by hundreds of people I expect something decent. The sauce was unusual and unappetizing. The method leaves the meatballs overcooked since it asks you to bake them before adding them to the crockpot. I don't even know what to say. Big disappointment.

Terrific recipe! We had a group of 60 for my son's graduation - I made a giant crockpot of these and there wasn't one left. I didn't change a thing other than the quantity. They were easy to make and VERY delicious. They appealed to both adults and children. THANKS!

I used premade frozen meatballs, and just dumped them in the crockpot with the mixture of the other ingredients and heated them on Low for about 5 hours. That allowed them to really soak up the flavors - yum! They were delicious, and I was asked for the recipe a few times.

Excellent! I used a tablespoon to measure them out and was able to get 35 meatballs from 1 lb of ground sirloin. I cooked them for a total of 22 minutes, flipping them once after 11 minutes. I didn't change or add any ingredients to the original recipe.

Love this recipe! Made it yesterday for my daugther's birtday party. I doubled the recipe. Used pre-made frozen italian meatballs. I used half the amount of chili sauce added some ketchup, because we don't like things too spicy. I also put in more brown sugar. Put the sauce mix and the frozen meatballs into a slow cooker and cooked on high for two-three hours and then kept it on low while being served. This is now my "meatball" recipe.

GREAT SAUCE! Thanks...reminds me of my momma :)

I haven't made these in a while, but they are just so good I had to review! You can also substitute grape jelly for cranberry sauce and they are just as tastey! And I agree with a previous reviewer - they are much better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. I usually make these a day before serving them for that reason!

Awesome. I took this recipe to a christmas party and everyone raved. I used frozen meatballs and made a few small changes to the sauce recipe. First I used a little less chili sauce but added smokey BBQ sauce, a few drops of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce as well as minced onion and garlic. Cooked on high in the crockpot for 3 hours and they turned out perfect. Will make again.

These are very very good, they dissapeared quickly from my party. However, as I was pouring in the chili sauce I happened to notice on the back of the bottle... the exact same recipe. Seems to me like someone needs to get their own recipe.

I used frozen meatballs (store brand) and avoided the Italian version since everyone here said the seasoning conflicted with the sauce. I put them frozen with the sauce in a crockpot and just sampled them. They are delicious. I did not pre-cook the meatballs since they came cooked. There's no need to make your own. Delicious recipe.

easy to make, and delicious! nice to have a slight tartness from the cranberry sauce, instead of the typical grape jelly....doubled the recipe last time and they were gobbled up! will be making them again, for super bowl Sunday, so might triple the batch! UPDATE...made a huge batch for our super bowl party today, and they were gone like lightening..the men were even spearing them out of the skillet, 10 minutes before they were done simmering, and my grandson gobbled them up..so good, and even better when you make the sauce the day before, and bake the meatballs the day before as well..the flavors are so much better, believe me! all I had to do when we got to my daughter's house, was to simmer them in the sauce till done...next time I will quadruple the amount, they go that fast!

Since it seems to baffling some: Chili Sauce is a LOT like cocktail sauce (kick from chili rather than horseradish though, best I can tell). I've only seen it made by Heinz, and it will likely be right beside the cocktail sauce in the grocery store. It is NOT sriracha, or anything you'd put on a hotdog, etc. Hope that helps somebody out! Made these for an office party. They smelled fantastic while cooking, but I never got to eat one myself - they were scarfed down, to rave reviews, before I got the chance! Will definitely make again.

This is pretty close to my standard recipe, too. I use whatever I have on hand as the "filler", whether it be bread crumbs, oatmeal, cracker crumbs, leftover cooked rice, etc. One thing I always had trouble with was that they tended to fall apart once they were in the crockpot with the sauce. On the advice of a friend, I tried rolling the raw meatballs in flour before browning them in oil. This method really helps! I make a huge batch of them, making sure they're cooked through, then line them up on jelly-roll pans and stick them in the freezer. Once frozen, they can go into zip-lock bags and be handy for whenever I need a quick dish.

These were really easy to make and went really fast. Even the picky eaters liked it - I am glad I doubled the recipe!

These were fabulous. Made them for a pot luck and they were enjoyed by all. I did use whole cranberry sauce and worchester sauce instead of water. Def. a keeper. For those of you who feel they were too spicy, I bet you weren't using Heinz Chili Sauce.

These meatballs are amazing!!! They are so easy to make and have such a wonderful taste. SO YUMMY! I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used a pouch of onion soup mix instead of onions in the meatball mixture, as others have suggested. It worked out great! They were moist and very flavorful. I just had some of the leftovers, and the day after, they are even better (if you are lucky enough to have any left). This was my first attempt at meatballs and I was a bit skeptical, but these are easy and super tasty.

I made these for my daughter's graduation open house, and doubled the recipe and they were all gone before the open house was over! I cheated a bit and used frozen mini-meatballs from Sam's Club and put them frozen in the crockpot to simmer in the sauce for a couple of hours. They came out great! Thanks for the recipe, Lara!

I made about 100 meatballs for my daughter's school party and went home with an empty platter and a recipe request from the teacher. Enough children asked for a copy that she made one for each one in the class. When 25 assorted kids love a recipe then it's a keeper!

I made these today, followed the,advice of a review way too sweet. So I give the recipe 5 the advice 1.

Used prepared meatballs from Costco and doubled the sauce....as other reviews said, they disappeared really fast. Everyone loved them, have never had meatballs go over this well before......great sauce. I put them in crockpot on low for several hours, stirring every hour. With all of the positive comments I received I will never make them any other way in the future..

These meatballs were gone in a flash! I served them at a dinner party and everyone loved them. I made 5.25 pounds of frozen meat balls (NOT Italian) and 4x the sauce. I cooked them in the crock-pot for four hours on high...it would probably be better to cook for at least six hours on low. The Heinz chili sauce is a 12oz bottle which is 1 cup. For those who might wonder, the Wal-Mart brand of chili sauce is just as good as the Heinz; I bought both and couldn't tell a difference (WM was actually thicker). I made the sauce the day before for ease and so the flavors would meld. You can't go wrong with this recipe, it's a winner!

I made these last night for a potluck and everyone loved them. I doubled the recipe and substituted worcestershire for the water. The meatballs and sauce were very tasty. This recipe is definately a keeper!

sorry but...yuck.It's currently christmas eve and I made these for tomorrow's christmas dinner. I don't think I'll even bring them. I don't like the meatballs or the sauce. I come from a family of very good cooks and fear they will all laugh hysterically if I bring these. The meatballs taste bland. The sauce tastes strange and well gross. Have you ever had a food so nasty that you actually felt nauseous after eating it? I only had one and that is how I feel. I followed the recipe exactly and am a pretty good cook. Sorry. However, everyone else reviewed them as excellent...so maybe it is just me.

These are absolutely fabulous. To the people saying they're too spicy... did you use chili sauce (generally comes in a can), or hot sauce (comes in a bottle)... chili sauce is not that spicy and certainly doesn't overwhelm the cranberry sauce. I've made these twice now and am making them again tomorrow. Took them to a potluck at work and everyone loved them - they were the first thing gone! I use frozen veggie meatballs, since I'm vegetarian. Even so, nobody could tell and everyone rave and asked for the recipe! These are definitely my new party take-along!

I made these for my dad's surprise party this weekend and they were AWESOME. I am still craving them but unfortunately they were all gobbled up. Two things I did differently were I made them the night before and used onion soup mix instead of real onion. They sat in the fridge overnight to let the flavor "develop". The next morning, I threw them into my crockpot with the sauce and let them simmer on low throughout the party. They were wonderful, someone described them as "sweet and kicky". I want to have another party now just so I have an excuse to make them again!!! Thanks for sharing Lara.

I've been making these for a couple of years now. Following others advice, I used the frozen small meatballs (Sam's club sells them in 2 # packages). I brown the meatballs according to package directions in the oven, put in crock pot, then add the sauce ingredients in the crock pot with meatballs. I serve these at parties and I have repeat requests for them.

I love this recipe!!It was a new year's eve tradition from the early years of my marriage. Haven't made it in years but they were always the 1st to disappear...Thanks for jogging my memory..I'm sure others will love them and crockpot is the only way to go..Will add yours to my recipe box and use this holiday season...DC

I used this recipe and added a few touches. I tripled the recipe. I used 2LB of ground beef and 1LB of ground pork. I put in 3 tsp of Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of ketcup instead of the water and added parsley flakes. They taste amazing. Sauce is the same just tripled.

I also prepared these meatballs for the first time for a party but made sure to read the reviews first. I didn't have a lot of time so I used frozen HOMESTYLE meatballs (you need to watch out for the packaging). I combined a bit of cranberry sauce and ligonberry jelly because I didn't want to open another can ( was doubling the recipe). I also used Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and it was amazing. Big hit! They were very easy and very tasty. My step son said they were "amazing" and for him to compliment my cooking...yeah...I'll take it!

This is a great recipe! The homemade meatballs are a winner, but you can always use the store bought kind if you want to make things easier. When they simmer in the sauce (I like putting mine in my slow cooker on high, then turning them down to "warm" for parties), they get the most delicious flavor. Try them -- you won't be disappointed!!

I used frozen meatballs. The recipe was good and easy to make.

If you like super sweet sauces, then I guess this would work. The cranberry sauce was an overkill. I ended up using the entire 12 bottle of chili sauce, and that still wasn’t enough. Finally I added an 8 ounce of tomato sauce to save the taste. They did taste a little like meatloaf balls, but still not bad. The meatballs were a little bland also.

These were delicious! We had some friends over to watch a football game I saw this on the website and had to try it. I followed the recipe as written except, because of time constraints the day of, I cooked the meatballs the night before and heated the sauce of the stove to get it incorporated. After the meatballs were done, I put it all in a 2 OT Crock Pot and put it in the fridge overnight. All I had to do was heat it up the next day! I will definitely keep this recipe around.

So goooood, my kids loved it. We used Frank's Red Hot Chili Sauce for some extra kick and it didn't disappoint. Extra bonus was getting rid of that can of cranberry sauce that's been sitting in the cupboard for three years.

I got rave reviews. It is excellent, but we like a bit more kick, so I now add red pepper flakes, extra lemon juice and a splash of vinegar to the sauce. I also add garlic powder and extra onion to the meatballs, as well as substituting ketchup or A1 for the water. The Costco organic ground beef packs which are 1.34 pounds work great - there is plenty of sauce for it.

Beautiful!! Delicious!!! Make at Potlucks

Fantastic!

I improvised a little for this recipe. I made my meatballs the way that I'd normally make them--garlic powder, crushed red pepper, red wine, etc., and baked them as the recipe said to. It was nice to avoid the frying mess. For the sauce, I realized that I had only bought one can of jellied cranberries and I had a double batch of meatballs. I substituted 8 oz. of boysenberry jelly and then omitted the brown sugar (the sauce was already sweet enough) and forgot the lemon juice. People still ranted and raved, so I'll definitely make these again!

i was a bit skeptical about the mix of cranberry sauce and chili sauce, but it was great! the meatballs turned out fabulously and they were a hit at my holiday party. thanks.

These are a favorite of my family and friends. I use Sriracha hot sauce and reduce the amount from 3/4 to 1/3 Cup. It also works well with Cran-Rasberry sauce. Thanks for the great recipe!

Isn't it amazing how the most unusual ingredients can come together to make the tastiest treat? We loved these! I cheated and used fully cooked frozen meatballs. I just threw all the ingredients (meatballs still frozen and all) in the slow cooker and cooked on low for about 5 hours. So easy and delicious!

I don't normally like meatballs, but I actually liked these. Modifications based on reviews: replaced minced onions with 1 package of Lipton onion soup mix, 14 oz can of jellied cranberry sauce and 1 bottle of Heinz chili sauce (both just for convenience factors to use full amounts). Perfect tartness and sweetness in sauce. Loved it!

I tripled this recipe for a family function of about 20+ people and they were a HUGE hit. Out of all the appetizers that were on the table these meatballs were the first to go. Everyone was telling me how amazing they were and asking me for this recipe. This is definitely a keeper for me!!

Followed this recipe exactly. Very good, everyone loved them, will make again.

Yum yum!! Made these for a party with store bought meatballs too, in a crockpot, everyone loved them. I am getting brave tonight and using the same sauce to marinate some chicken drum sticks then I'll roast them and see what happens!

I'm known for my holiday parties, hosting 40 or so. These are a breeze to add variety to a buffet without effort. I use Costco's meatballs and let them simmer for 4 - 6 hours on low to allow the meatballs to absorb the delicious sauce. Look like a star while taking it easy on yourself for your next event!

So good and so easy!! Made two pounds for my sons birthday party and they were gone in seconds!! Wish I made more!!

I used bagged meatballs just to cut out some cooking time. I mixed the sauces together and threw everything into the crockpot. I did add some crushed red peppers for a little spice. They were great. Thanks for the recipe.

These were definitely good as written but excellent and 5 star worthy with a few tweaks. I added a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire to the meatball mixture for some zing, and would recommend decreasing the cooking time. By 20 minutes my meatballs were fairly overcooked. I would also recommend melting the sauce mixture in the microwave prior to pouring on top of the meatballs to help distribute the flavors more evenly

I thought the actual meatball was bland. The sauce was helpful, but I'd prefer a tastier meatball to go with this sauce.

looks really good!!!!! :)

What a tasty, quick and EASYrecipe! I made this twice over the holidays and it was ahuge hit! I opted to use the frozen cocktail meatballs to save time. I put everything in the crockpot and set the temp. to low. 6-8 hours later they were ready...and PERFECT! Thanks for a great crowd pleaser!

Made this for teacher snack day. I must admit I took the lazy way out and used frozen meatballs. Having said that, the sauce for this is AMAZING! Everyone loved and said it was definitely better than the usual sauce made with grape jelly. Will make again for sure.

There is a difference between chili sauce and chile sauce. Never let a man shop for you. Turned out horrible because I didn't notice.

This was the absolute most easiest dish I've ever made and it came out like I slaved over the stove to make it. Everyone loved it!!

This is the 1st time I ever attempted meatballs and I really loved these. The sauce was really good. Tripled the recipe and took them to a baby shower. I had very little left over and had some requests for the recipe. The funny thing is, the entire time I was adding the sauce ingredients, I kept wrinkling my nose and thinking "this can't be good". I mean, cranberry sauce, chili sauce & lemon juice. Wow. But it was very good. I actually made these the day before I needed them. I baked the meatballs on a broiler pan so the grease would drip down and not pool around the meatballs. I then just placed them in a container, poured the sauce over them, put a lid on them and threw them in the fridge. The next morning at 8am, I dumped it all in the slow cooker to heat before the 1:00 baby shower. Perfect. The only change I made was adding a bit more minced onions and the bread crumbs were Italian flavored. That little bit of flavor didn't overwhelm the sauce at all.

Great taste, but even in my older slow cooker (does not get very hot) they started to burn after a few hours. I would just have to watch the time next time.

Pretty good.

the meatballs were good, and so was the sauce. It is too sweet though for my taste. These were not excellent reheated as the texture of the meat changed a lot and was too soft/gooey. Would do the meatballs again, but perhaps try a different sauce, something less sweet...

Made this sauce for a Christmas party, and everyone loved the dish. I did this last minute, so used frozen Italian meatballs - put them right in the slow cooker frozen and added the sauce. Cooked on low for 1 hour, then kept in on warm for maybe 30 minutes until the guests arrived - turned out perfectly delicious. I also used Heinz chili sauce - some of the negative comments mention that the sauce was too spicy. This wasn't, and the meatballs were a favorite of the kids.

Easy to prepare and delicious. Brought this to a pre superbowl party and was enjoyed by everyone.

Was looking for a cocktail meatball recipe similar to what my mom makes and this was a perfect match! Delicious!

Yes, and love it. My husband, who will not eat cranberry sauce, asks me to make them for football games.

Yum. I made these in a crockpot and they came out great. I bought frozen swedish meatballs from BJ's Wholesale Club. I would normally make my own meatballs, but was short on time. These were awesome. I turned the crockpot on high, added 2 cans of jellied cranberry sauce, a bottle and 1/2 of chile sauce and the remaining ingredients. When I first saw what the sauce looked like I thought "yuck" this will not be good, but I was so wrong. I let the sauce get a little warm and then added the meatballs and just left it. I left it on high for about 4 hours and then stirred and turned it down to low. I left the crockpot on low all day and throughout the party and they were fine. They were a big hit and will definitely make again. It's so easy if you buy the meatballs already made! Great appetizer to bring to a party.

GREAT RECIPE! Thanks so much for sharing. I have made this probably 30 times and always gotten rave reviews! I make my meatballs a little different- 1 lb ground meat, 1 pk. pork stuffing mix, 1 egg, 1/2 c. chopped onion, 1/2 c. milk, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder. Also, for the sauce I add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper and a splash of worchesteshire sauce. One of my favorites, thanks again!!!

Absolutely LOVED it! Perfect amount of sweet with still a zing to it that makes it stand out and memorable. Plus the meatballs were deliciously moist on the inside. I followed the recipe exactly and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Starting making this 2 years ago. My kids love it and request it everytime we all get together. I do add extra minced onions and use Italian bread crumbs. Make a triple batch every time. Definitely a keeper.

Made this three times so far. Went over well, every meatball was taken. Was just asked to make them again so thought I would go ahead and rate this and say DO IT, if you were deciding if you wanted to make these or not. :)

BIG HIT!!! The guys loved these at our superbowl party - they couldnt beleive there was cranberry in it! And they only get better the longer they sit in the slow cooker!

This recipe reminds me of my grandmothers swedish meatball recipe except its quicker and allows for you to drain the grease off the meatballs after you cook them in the oven! I was very impressed with the recipe and will be making them many many more times!! Yum!

These were a HUGE HIT at the New Year's Eve party I brought them to. I used frozen meatballs (plain NOT Italian) due to time constraints. Super easy recipe and definitely a crowd pleaser. Tip: DO NOT overcook! Meatballs start to fall apart.

This is a great recipe!! I cut down the prep time on it at Christmas by using prepared meatballs that you can purchase in the frozen food section. I took these in a crock-pot to 3 Christmas functions- Not a meatball was stirring after everyone got their fair share.

I made these for the Super Bowl game. I followed the sauce recipe exactly and used frozen home style meatballs in the crock pot. The cranberry flavor was too much, and we couldn't really taste any other flavors. The sauce was just too sweet. I think I will try something else next time.

I did not care for this recipe.

This is absolutely a keeper! I personally dont eat beef so i used turkey, brought to potluck so i followed the recipe almost exactly until i realized that the cranberry jelly sauce can i used was over than 8 oz, it's about 12 oz (348 ml ocean spray) anyway, i fixed and adjusted chilli sauce to the recipe, it turned out wonderfully. Additionally, i added a dash of soy sauce and hot sauce for a nice colour and a kick. My bf doesn't like cranberry sauce in general, but he loves this meatballs. With turkey,it prolly wont turn out as good as beef, but for me the sauce has lift up everything all together. Next time will make with beef meatballs.

Excellent meetballs, fresh and simple to make. I tweeted the sauce and used one 32 Oz jar of grape jelly, two 12 Oz jars of chili sauce heat and when melted add the meetballs. The longer they sit the more flavor they will have.

I've made these lots of times we love them! Thank you for posting.

The sauce was fantastic and went really well with the meat. But the meatball itself was missing something that I can't put my finger on. Something like salt, tomato paste or garlic or a combo. I think once you find your favorite meatball recipe, this sauce is great to cook them in. Thanks for the recipe.

BEWARE and don't make the same mistakes I did. I mistakingly used a can of jellied cranberry however a can is 14 oz. I wasn't thinking and assumed it was 8 oz & quickly dumped in in. Needless to say I had a whole lot of catching up to do hours later when I realized my mistake to balance this out and I didn't quite succeed. I also used frozen meatballs - meh homemade is always better. Lastly, I did not heed advice and used Italian style breadcrumbs & again the taste was slightly off. Next time I will make homemade meatballs ahead of time & merry the sauce in the correct ratio the night before.

Loved these

These were great. I made them for my son's poetry recital at school, and they were gone in an instant. I used a packet of lipton onion soup as suggested and also added some minced garlic and some German seasoning, because I had no parsley. They were amazing! Thanks for sharing...

I found this recipe on this sight about seven years ago, and everytime I make it, EVERYONE loves it. It's much better than the grape jelly and bbq sauce recipes. It's also very easy. After 7 years, I am still using it.