Mini Meatballs in Pinot Noir Sauce

I’m a big fan of mini meatballs at parties.

Let’s pause for a moment and just appreciate the meatball…which, in my opinion, has kind of taken second stage in the past couple years to those fancy schmancy cheese plates. You know, the type that are displayed on slate with little chalkboard captions? Those are lovely. However, few things beat a really good meatball platter. Unlike fancy cheese and crackers, which tend to break apart as you eat them and cast expensive little crumbs all over your shirt, the meatball is quickly just popped into your mouth! No fuss and no mess. Plus, you can totally be discreet about how many you eat because they go down so fast. Did I mention they go great with wine and soak up alcohol so party guests don’t get too boozy? I chose mini sausage balls as an appetizer for our wedding for just that reason.

This is another recipe I created for Barefoot. I had so much fun playing with different variatals and have a few more recipes coming your way in the next few weeks. For this one, I wanted to create an easy, super delicious appetizer that could be served at home watching a football game or at a fancy office party. No matter the question, the answer is always meatballs.

Okay, I’ll admit it: I may or may not have been sipping while I cooked. I liked this wine a lot, and I liked that it was under $10 even more.

These savory little guys are baked and then drizzled with a slightly sweet Pinot Noir sauce. The secret? Grape jelly. Just a touch! When I was developing this recipe, I kept tasting the sauce as I cooked and kept thinking, “this is good but it really needs just a little something to make it stand out”. Then, I remembered my mom making Swedish meatballs with lingdonberry jam {kinda like a red currant} on Christmas Eve when I was growing up and that’s what led me to try adding the grape jelly. It added the perfect amount of sweetness without going overboard…plus, it went with the wine theme! Bam.

Serve at parties! Or for dinner with some mashed potatoes and green beans. Why not?

Mini Meatballs in Pinot Noir Sauce

Makes about 35 mini meatballs

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Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef, about 15% lean

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp salt

1 shallot, minced

¼ tsp pepper

½ minced shallot

¾ cup Barefoot Pinot Noir

1 cup water

1 tsp cornstarch

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp grape jelly

1 tbsp butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the ground beef, minced shallot, salt, pepper, milk and breadcrumbs together in a large bowl. Mix well until completely combined.  Form small meatballs out of the beef mixture and place in the casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce.

Combine the wine, water, cornstarch and half a minced shallot in a large pan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for about 10-15 minutes.

Add the grape jelly and Worcestershire sauce to the wine mixture. Stir well. Finally, add the butter to the sauce and stir to combine and melt. Continue simmering the sauce for about six to eight minutes, or until sauce thickens greatly.

Pour sauce over cooked meatballs and serve.

Time:

45 minutes

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