Georgia Cocktail Meatballs Make a Perfect Party Appetizer

Some Kinda Good Georgia Cocktail Meatballs

Grape jelly combined with apple hickory BBQ sauce and hot pepper jelly is an unlikely combination, but when paired together with perfectly seasoned meatballs, they make the most decadent and savory bite. This classic, Southern recipe showcases a few of my favorite Georgia products, plus some staple ingredients you’re sure to have on hand. You can make them for your holiday celebrations, and keep them warm in your slow cooker. The grape jelly keeps the meatballs moist, while fresh parsley lends a homemade touch.

The Georgia products in this recipe feature Lanier’s Fresh Meat Market ground beef, Braswell’s Red Pepper Jelly, Lanier’s Apple Hickory BBQ Sauce and Georgia Olive Oil of Lakeland, Georgia.

I was recently invited to be a part of “The Classic Southern Christmas,” a Georgia Grown tourism event held at the Georgia Visitor’s Center in my hometown of Augusta. These meatballs were a hit with elementary-aged children to the Marines on site collecting Toys for Tots. Featuring ground beef from Lanier’s Fresh Meat Market , Georgia Olive Farm’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Statesboro’s own Braswell’s Red Pepper Jelly, this recipe is undeniably a product of the Peach State. When you cook with ingredients this good, it’s hard to mess them up. Y’all enjoy, and when folks come calling for the recipe, tell ’em Some Kinda Good sent ya. 😉

Thanks Georgia Grown for allowing me to take part in this spectacular event!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup of Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 cup of milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of Georgia Olive Oil
3/4 of 1 (19 ounce) bottle of Lanier’s Apple Hickory BBQ Sauce
1 (10 ounce) jar of grape jelly
2 tablespoons of Braswell’s Hot Pepper Jelly

Instructions

Combine the first eight ingredients. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet and brown the meatballs. Remove the meatballs, set aside and pour off the fat from the skillet. Pour the Apple Hickory BBQ sauce and the grape jelly into the skillet and heat, whisking constantly until all of the jelly has dissolved. Stir in the hot pepper jelly. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes. To keep warm place the whole skillet into a slow cooker and keep covered on low. Serve with toothpicks.

Special thanks to Deep South Dish for inspiring this recipe!