Slow cooker meatballs for 12: frozen, fully cooked meatballs simmered in a sweet and tangy grape jelly and chili sauce, then held on warm so the crew can spear them all game long. It's about 5 minutes of work and 35 minutes on the stove. The slow cooker only keeps them hot, and they travel to the lot in it just as well.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 5 min · Total: about 35 min
Home gear: a 6-quart or larger pot or Dutch oven, and a 6-quart slow cooker
Pack for the lot
- Meatballs, heated to 165°F, in a clipped slow cooker (or frozen in the cooler, with the sauce in a jar, if you're heating them at the lot)
- Toothpicks or skewers
- Green onions, in the cooler
- Instant-read thermometer
- Slotted spoon
- Extension cord, or a generator or power station where allowed
- Foil pans and charcoal or a full propane tank, if heating at the lot
- Small plates, napkins and trash bags
Lot notes
- Why the stove first: a slow cooker heats too slowly to bring frozen or cold food up to a safe temperature, and USDA advises against starting frozen food in one. Heat the meatballs to 165°F on the stove or in the oven, then let the slow cooker hold them.
- Holding hot: on warm, a slow cooker keeps them at 140°F or above for the game. Check with a thermometer now and then. If they've dropped below 140°F, eat them within 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F, then toss the rest.
- Watch the sugar: the jelly sauce can catch on the bottom. Stir it on the stove and add a splash of water if it gets thick on warm.
- Cleanup: soak the slow cooker insert in hot water while you watch. Sticky sauce comes off easily when it's still warm.
Can you make slow cooker meatballs ahead?
Yes. Heat them through to 165°F, cool them in shallow containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. On game day, reheat them on the stove to 165°F, then move them to the slow cooker.
Can you put frozen meatballs straight in the slow cooker?
Not safely. A slow cooker warms frozen food too slowly, so heat the meatballs to 165°F on the stove or in the oven first and use the slow cooker only to hold them at 140°F or above.
How do you keep meatballs hot at a tailgate?
Carry them hot in a clipped slow cooker wrapped in towels, and plug it in where your lot allows power. Without power, keep them in a foil pan on the cool side of the grill with the lid down.
How many meatballs do you need for 20 people?
Plan on about 5 oz each as an appetizer. Multiply everything by 1⅔: about 6½ lb of meatballs, 3 bottles of chili sauce and 3⅓ cups of grape jelly. That's more than a 6-quart slow cooker holds, so use 2.