Crockpot Meatballs

Buy frozen Italian-style meatballs from Kroger.  These have the best flavor of all the brands I’ve tried.

• 1 large package frozen meatballs (about 80 pieces)
• 32 oz grape or other dark purple/red jelly or jam (okay to mix left-overs)
• 64 oz  Heinz chili sauce or  Kikr’s spicy ketchup (can also substitute seafood cocktail sauce)

Put red sauce and red/purple jam or jelly in a crock pot (large enough to hold all meatballs).

If your crockpot “pot” is the removable ceramic kind, you can heat the sauce and jelly in the pot in your microwave, just leave the lid off.  (Crock pot lids often include metal in their handles or rim).  Heat on high 3 minutes, then stir.  Repeat until the sauce and jelly is melted and smooth.

If you can’t remove the “pot” from the crockpot heating unit, heat the sauce and jelly on high, stirring every 5 minutes, until it is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Add frozen meatballs and toss to coat with the sweet and spicy sauce.  Cook all day long (6-9 hours) on low.

Need to start this ahead of time?  Make the melted sauce the night before and place the meatballs in the pot.  Stir to toss.  Store the pot of sauce and meatballs in the covered crockpot in your refrigerator overnight.  Plug in and start the cooking time the next morning.

Eat warm, refrigerate in a container with a tight-fitting lid.  Keeps 4-5 days.  Microwave meatballs to warm: place 5 meatballs on a plate and heat on high 1 minute.  Test.  If not warm enough, repeat.