Sweet and Sour Meatballs
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
Meatballs:
1/2 lb. Hamburger
1/2 lb. Sausage (I use Jimmy Dean in the tube)
1 egg
8 oz. V8 Juice
3/4 C. Bread Crumbs (I use Progresso's Italian Crumbs)
1 pkg. Lipton Onion soup mix (dry)
Mix all this together and use an ice cream scoop to make perfect little meatballs.
Place them on a cookie sheet, right next to each other and then bake at 350 until brown and sizzling. About 1/2 hour.
While the meatballs are cooking, start your rice. I've talked about making rice before, but for those of you who have not heard my rant here I go.
Many of my friends have rice cookers, personally, I think, "Why add one more thing to my kitchen counters?" I think a nice 4 quart sauce pan with a lid works fabulously and it stacks nicely in my cupboards. I know others do not feel as I do, but you decide after you give my way a try.
The recipe for rice is 2:1, two cups of water for each cup of rice. I often make mine with chicken broth instead of water, but for this dish, I like water so it does not clash with the sweet taste of the fruity sauce that goes over everything.
Place water and rice in saucepan. Put lid on and bring to boil. As soon as it boils turn the temperature down to low and set timer for 20 minutes. Keep the lid on and do not peek! When the timer goes off, pick up the lid and see if there are little steam holes in the rice. If so, you have done a fabulous job. If not, cook until you see those holes. Rice is so cheap and easy, if you ask me.
Sauce:
I triple this recipe when I make a double batch of meatballs. You decide how much you need and want to make.
1 C. Pineapple Juice
3 Tbsp. Corn Starch
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp. Vinegar
6 Tbsp. Water
1/2 C. Sugar
Add the above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. It will thicken as it boils. Cook to the consistency you like. I tend to like mine a little thicker.
Veggies:
2 Stalks of Celery
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Onion
2 Carrots
Cut your vegetables as you like. I tend to like small slices of celery, 1 inch pieces of bell pepper, onions cut up small and carrots sliced. As you know, I have a fourteen year old boy who will not eat onions. I always chop them up very fine in my Cuisinart and then saute. Only, occasionally does he detect onions. Most of the time, he never can tell.
If you want, saute your celery and pepper with your onions. While these are cooking, boil the carrots in salt water until done.
Fruit:
1 Can of Pineapple Tidbits
Add cooked vegetables and drained can of pineapple to the corn starch mixture.
Plate by serving rice first, then meat balls and then ladle on the amount of sauce you want. This recipe takes a little time, but it feeds a large crowd and it stores well for leftovers.
*This is my meat loaf recipe, too. This is one dish that always gets eaten. If there are leftovers, they never last long. The following is a brown sugar, ketchup topping for the meatloaf. Make meat loaf and place in a loaf pan. Mix topping ingredients together and spoon over the raw meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Yum, yum, yummy. I actually crave this recipe at times. Serve with baked potatoes, sour cream and butter alongside cooked peas or green peas. Hard to beat if you ask me!
Meatloaf Sauce:
3 Tbsp. Br. Sugar
1/4 C. Ketchup
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
Pinch of Nutmeg
Funny Story about Meatloaf
One Saturday evening, my husband and I were coming home from a Saturday night church meeting. While thinking about what to make for Sunday dinner the next day, I suddenly said, "I feel like meatloaf!"
My husband began to laugh. He said, "Who ever feels like meatloaf? That is bizarre!"
I think growing up he did not like meatloaf very much and could hardly believe anyone would ever truly WANT to eat meatloaf without being made to eat it by their mother.
Over the years, I have convinced him, by continually making meatloaf, that in fact, you truly can WANT to eat it!