Cranberry-Sauced Meatballs

Tender chicken or turkey meatballs studded with cranberries absorb glorious flavor when they're simmered in a snappy cranberry-flavored barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup dried cranberries, snipped, or golden raisins, snipped
* 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
* 2 pounds uncooked ground chicken or turkey
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
* 1 cup bottled barbecue sauce


Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. For meatballs, in a very large bowl, beat egg with a fork. Stir in bread crumbs, dried cranberries or raisins, onion, salt, and cloves or allspice. Add ground chicken or turkey; mix well. Shape into 60 meatballs.

Lightly coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place meatballs in pan.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until done (165°F).*

Meanwhile, in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, stir together cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce. Add cooked meatballs, stirring gently to coat. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 2 to 3 hours or on high-heat setting for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Meatballs may be kept warm on low-heat setting for up to 1 hour more.) Serve with toothpicks.

*Note: The internal color of a meatball is not a reliable doneness indicator. A poultry meatball cooked to 165°F is safe, regardless of color. To measure the doneness of a meatball, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of meatball.

Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare meatballs as directed through step 2. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Continue as directed in steps 3 and 4, using the maximum timings to bake and to heat in slow cooker.