Stuffing Meatballs with Cranberry & Orange

❄12 Days of Christmas with LG,BE❄

🌟Day 10🌟

When the holidays really kick off, sometimes you get down to the nitty gritty remnants of leftovers in your fridge with a hint of pantry or freezer stragglers that you don’t want to leave behind. This recipe was intended to try and use up some of these items and repurpose them into a crockpot meal to help you save time and to ensure you aren’t left hungry on those days when the grocery stores are closed and you’re not in the mood to order takeout!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package of ground turkey
• 1 package of pre-made dried stuffing mix, I used a classic; Stove Top
• 1 can of cranberry sauce, or about 1 cup (leftover homemade cranberry sauce would work great!)
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of additional breadcrumbs
• Fresh orange zest
• 1 cup of chicken/ vegetable stock
• Salt, pepper, and avocado/neutral oil
• Cornstarch – about 1 tbsp for gravy thickener

Start by adding the minced turkey, shallot, garlic, dried stuffing mix, egg, salt and pepper, and half of the cranberry sauce into a bowl and mix together. If the mixture is too wet, add about 1/4 cup of additional panko breadcrumb as needed until the mixture can be easily formed into meatballs.

In a pre-heated pan on medium-high with some oil, sear off the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Cook off the meatballs in batches if necessary to ensure even browning. You do not have to cook these all the way through as they will continue to cook while in the crockpot.

Layer the partially cooked meatballs within a crockpot and then add the chicken or vegetable stock to the bottom of the crockpot. This will ensure that the meatballs remain tender as they cook at a low temperature. Cook on high for 3 hours, or until internal temperature reads 165°F. In the last half hour of cook time, add the rest of the cranberry sauce and fresh orange zest and continue to cook for the remainder of time.

Once ready, remove the meatballs and reserve the liquid at the bottom of the crockpot to create a basic gravy. In a small saucepan, bring the reserved liquid to a simmer and then add in a cornstarch slurry (1tbsp of cornstarch to 1 tbsp of 1/2 tbsp of water ratio) and incorporate while stirring to ensure the cornstarch does not clump immediately upon addition. Serve over top of the warmed meatballs and with some fresh cranberries if you have any for a delicious and super easy dinner!

Peace and good eats, as always.
-A❄