Theresa's Mixed Nuts: Apple Glazed Meatballs (With A Vegetarian Version Too!)

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Apple Glazed Meatballs (With A Vegetarian Version Too!)

I love rediscovering old recipe favorites. Ever since Pinterest became a hot thing, I've been guilty of always looking for something new to try and forgetting about some of the recipes that my family used to love. As I was looking through my recipe stash last week hoping to find a few good tried and true appetizers to make for Christmas, I came across an old magazine tear-out for Apple Glazed Meatballs.

Not only did it bring back delicious dinner memories, but also made me nostalgic for the days when I would get excited about receiving a magazine in the mail filled with scrumptious recipes waiting to be tried. Nowadays it's so easy to hop online and dig up any recipe your heart desires, but I'll always enjoy pulling out my binder and flipping through the pages I ripped out of magazines and newspapers, remembering how eager my younger self was to learn how to make good eats for my family.

Apple Glazed Meatballs



I found this apple glazed meatball recipe in Better Homes and Gardens 2012 issue and have made it countless times over the years, but since becoming a vegetarian it's been kind of shoved to the back of my binder without a second thought. But, since I am the only vegetarian in my family, I thought we'd dust this recipe off and bring it back to the table for the holidays for the whole family to enjoy. Since I can't eat them, I did a little digging and found an awesome vegetarian meatball recipe from Chef John at Allrecipes. I used most of his recipe, then combined it with the glaze that I found in BHG magazine for one killer "meatball".


I did make my family the real beef version and then made myself the mushroom based version. I asked my husband if he wanted to try one of mine, and after sampling one he was really surprised that mine didn't contain any meat. "Are you tricking me? I never would have guessed these were vegetarian!" With that response, I'd say either version would be a hit.
Yield: Serves 4

Apple-Glazed Meatballs 

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS:


  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 slices white bread, torn into small bits
  • 1 lb 85% lean ground beef
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oil for frying (I used avocado, but vegetable or olive oil works well too)


APPLE GLAZE INGREDIENTS: 


  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Add bread bits and let sit for about 5 minutes until bread is just softened. Add ground beef, garlic, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Using hands, mix thoroughly, then shape mixture into meatball rounds
  2. Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until they are browned and crusty on the outside and no longer pink in the centers, roughly 6 minutes per batch. Drain fat from skillet and wipe clean with a paper towel.
  3. For Apple Glaze: In a bowl, combine juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and cayenne. In the same skillet you cooked the meatballs, heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring until bubble and thickened (it should be at a full boil). Return meatballs to pan, stirring to coat with the glaze and to heat through. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with chopped parsley and sesame seeds for garnish, if desired. 

Original recipe source- BHG Magazine
Original recipe source- BHG Magazine

Yield: Serves 4

Apple-Glazed Vegetarian Meatballs

 

VEGETARIAN MEATBALL INGREDIENTS:


  •  1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb portobello mushrooms, finely diced (I ground mine in a food processor)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup finely diced onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/4 cup finely ground Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 eggs, divided
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

APPLE GLAZE INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. Heat oil over medium-high heat, then add in mushrooms. Sprinkle in salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushroom liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the pan. Cook until mushrooms have reach a golden brown color.
  2. Add onion to the mushrooms and continue to heat, stirring often, until mushrooms are soft and translucent. Remove skillet from heat and add garlic, stirring for about a minute until combined and fragrant. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
  3. Mix oats into the mushroom mixture until well combined; add in Parmesan cheese. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, and 1 egg. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir in remaining egg. Now the mixture should hold together when pressed.
  4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. For best texture and flavor, refrigerate overnight. 
  5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  6. Using hands, form mixture into small meatballs, then arrange on baking sheet. 
  7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until meatballs have turned a golden brown color. 
  8. While meatballs are cooking, combine juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and cayenne in a saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring until bubble and thickened (it should be at a full boil). Once meatballs are done cooking in the oven, transfer them to a bowl and pour the sauce over top. Gently stir to coat. Serve. 
Recipe adapted from Chef John at Allrecipes
Recipe adapted from Chef John at Allrecipes
What appetizers are on your holiday menu this year?







54 comments:

  1. Ah, the days before the internet when you ripped stuff from magazines haha Sounds like both were a hit by his reaction indeed.

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    1. Now we better make sure we print off those good recipe finds or lose them forever when a website crashes.

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  2. Replies
    1. I can see her big old smile as she enjoys them too :)

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  3. My favorite appetizer is sausage balls - simple, but we hardly EVER fix them. So...i requested them. Other than that, I have no idea. These meatballs look yummy, although I've never been a huge meatball fan. I'm willing to try anything new, though.

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    1. I bet my husband would love sausage balls. I was never a sausage fan so I hardly ever made it for him. He does get sausage on his Chicago deep dish pizzas every time we go into the city for a treat. I just pick it out of my slices so he can have extra lol. Are you not hosting dinner this year?

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    2. Oh yeah - we are hosting again. Found an AWESOME spiral ham crock pot recipe that we tried out - wanted to make sure it was good enough to cook on Christmas Day, and it was amazing!!! So excited - will free up the oven for all sorts of other items. ;)
      I've already asked my mom to fix sausage balls - I'm not a huge fan of sausage either, but I love me some sausage balls. The cheddar cheese and bisquick kind of disguise the fact it's sausage. Haha!

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    3. You're going to have to send me that crockpot recipe! Anything to free up the oven would be a blessing ;)

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    4. Definitely - see below:
      1 spiral ham
      1 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks in natural juice (do not drain)
      3 1/2 cups of light brown sugar
      1/2 cup honey

      In crockpot layer bottom with 2 cups of brown sugar. Place the ham on top and open the slices slightly. Pour the honey evenly over the ham. Add the pineapple around the sides, with the juice, and some on top. Top the ham with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar, making sure it is evenly distributed over the entire ham. Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 - 4 hours (we had about an 8.5 lb. ham, and cooked it right at 4 hours). Serve and enjoy - it is soooooo good!

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    5. Oh - you can also use Pineapple Tidbits - we just used the chunks, and it was perfect

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    6. Thank you so much! I just bought a ham to cook ahead of time and portion out so my husband would be able to grab something to make on the two nights a week I don't get home until after 8pm. I seems that everything made in a slow cooker comes out so much tender and juicier than in the oven, so I know he's going to love this! And I love how simple it is to make!

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  4. I'd have to leave out the garlic because I hate that but other than that it sounds really good.

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    1. We can't get enough of it here. But yes, these would also still be amazing without it!

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  5. Those sound so delicious! I love the sweet/savory combo of these meatballs. They'll make excellent appetizers for our Christmas dinner.

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  6. Lovely! That is how I do them too, with oats :) I don't eat oats for breaky but I do put them in patties and veggie balls and savoury muffins and even in stuffing veggies like red peppers. You did lovely photos too!
    I did rice and pea and garlic patties today for lunch with carrot and garlic and mayo mash.

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    1. I've never used oats like this before, but was quite fond of how everything turned out. I just found an really good vegetarian hamburger recipe that uses quinoa that I got Jason to love too. While he'll never give up eating meat, I am glad that I am finding substitutes that we can both enjoy. Your patties sound really delish!

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    2. Just soak some oats, ad some vegeta :) garlic and onions and any veggies and that's the stuffing for anything or a mixture for patties or burgers.
      I do love quinoa, and also millet, both cooked and in burgers and savoury muffins. I started using buckwheat for that purpose too, it is lovely instead of rice too. The only left to try is amaranth.

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    3. I have yet to cook with millet. I need to find a good recipe to start off with. I hated quinoa the first time we had it, but since putting it in our veggie burgers, it's really grown on me. I've seen amaranth at the grocers, but never came across a recipe to use it in so I've never tried it either. When you do, let me know how it works for you.

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    4. I will! It is really about time you try that recipe of mine with millet :) Just dice and fry some carrots, parsley and garlic on some coconut oil, then ad two mugs of boiling water, a full teaspoon of vegeta and half a teaspoon of celery leaves, and then stir in about a half mug of millet and red lentils (mixed together and rinsed). Bring it boil, and than cook it on low temp covered for about 15 mins until all the liquid is soaked into the millet. You can eat it half an hour later or tomorrow too from the fridge. You can also shape it with icecream spoon into balls and serve like that as an elegant addition to your main meal. You can also pour it into some lovely glass cups after cooking, leave it set and then top it with a dollop of sour cream for a fancy cocktail treat.

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    5. I will definitely try it soon. You know Jason has been trying to eat better, and I think this would be good for him to take to lunch. Do you thing brown lentils would work as well? I have an abundance of those on hand that I need to go through first without adding more lentils to the pantry.

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    6. If they are done for 15 minutes like the red lentils, then yes :) You can leave out the lentils too if you don't eat them. You can also do millet as any other risoto, with shrooms, peas.... I think it will be good for you as it has more vitamins and minerals than rice or quinoa, and you could use it as a sidedish to anything at least once a week instead of rice or mashed potatoes. You can cook millet without any veggies too, just with some vegeta like ordinary rice. It has, methinks, five or ten times more calcium than yoghurt, which is especially goods for you ladies.

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  7. We love meatballs. I've never tried making them with an apple glaze, they sound like they'd be tasty.

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    1. It is really good. It's sticky, not runny, so it adheres to the meatballs really well.

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  8. I am pinning this to try it. Looks delicious! Do you think it has to be white bread or would any bread work?

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    1. Thank you Kristi! I am sure that any kind of bread would work.

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  9. I like how you have a vegetarian option. That will make for a thoughtful gesture for vegetarians, and they won't be left out. These look delicious.

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    1. People always panic when I come to dinner because they never know what to make for me. These meatballs are a great option!

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  10. This is so great of you to offer two versions. My family is mixed so this is great. I have to try these really soon

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    1. Thanks Kim! It's really a great recipe to have on hand for the meat eaters and non meat eaters alike.

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  11. Talk about food that the kids will love, I'm sure they're going to like this one! It's awesome that it's all veggies!

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  12. I've been trying to eat less meat and so, I've been very creative with my meals. I think this recipe is a keeper and I would love to try it!

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  13. Looks really delicious Theresa, and yours pictures are amazing!!

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  14. I remember getting excited about books and magazines for recipes too. :) I wonder how many people keep hard copies these days. Online makes everything so convenient, but I think things should be hard copy too...easier to hand down and access. :) These sound like a great dish to serve the fam.

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    1. I agree. I have a huge collection of cookbooks and recipe magazines. It's always good to have a hard copy because you never know when the internet will go down or a website could shut down and you lose access to your favorites.

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  15. These meatballs sound really good. Thanks for including a vegetarian version of them!

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  16. I could eat meatballs anytime, any day. This apple glaze sounds amazing! Yum!

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    1. It's delicious! It would pair well with pork and chicken too, I'm sure :)

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  17. Apple glazed meatballs look delicious. I will have to give them a try for sure :)

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  18. They do look yummy. I think I'd like the glaze.

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  19. Both versions look incredible! We try to do a vegetarian dish from time to time, and I think this would be great! Yum!

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  20. These look delicious. I've never tried a different meatball than our regular Italian one but I really need to branch out. I'm going to try these

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  21. I have never tried the apple glazed variety. I could imagine this being super yummy though!

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  22. I have honestly never tried a meatball like this before. These sound amazing and a unique recipe!

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  23. Thesee meatballs look delicious! Such perfect party appetizers!

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  24. This is going to be a great appetizer for a holiday party. It would even be good for dinner! I like the sound of an apple glaze over the meatballs. This is going to be another winner with my family.

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  25. Our kids love homemade meatballs and I bet this one would be a hit! I would love to try making this recipe for the kids sometime.

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  26. oooh my..that apple glaze is indeed a killer. Love to try the vegetarian version as I'm trying to cut down my meat intake. As for the meatball, my kids will definitely enjoy them!

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  27. the ones in the pic are the beef or mushroom version? Can't really tell but I bet both are just as delish!!

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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    1. Actually, they are both. I didn't make enough of either to fill the entire bowl for the picture, so the bottom layer is the beef meatballs and the top two layers are the mushroom balls.

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Thanks for your comments! I appreciate every one of them :) Except promotional posts with added links. Those will be deleted.

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