Happy #SundaySupper! This week the #SundaySupper crew went apple picking and brought back tons of juicy apples for some delicious fall recipes. These Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs are tender, juicy, and full of fall flavors.

Now, I didn’t actually pick my own apples. I may have cheated a bit (gasp!) and took a trip to my local orchard, Weber’s, and grabbed an already picked basket of honey crisp apples and a half gallon of fresh apple cider. It’s always nice when someone else does the hard labor for you.

When I heard this week’s theme was apples, I instantly thought dessert: apple pie, caramelized apples, stuffed apples, apple crisp, apple this, and apple that. It all sounded delicious, but I wanted to create something outside of the box, so I decided on these Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs. They’re savory, sweet, and just plain old yummy. They’re also extremely versatile. You can serve them as a main course for dinner, stick a tooth pick in them for Sunday night football (our favorite way to eat them), or pile them on a piece of crusty bread for a sandwich. Either way, they’re delicious.

Honey crisp apples are my apple of choice in the fall. They’re the perfect balance of sweet and tart with a crisp, juicy center. When I go apple picking, I head straight for the red-green orbs dangling from the apple trees.

I decided to use ground turkey for this recipe since it goes so well with apples. I mixed ground turkey with a generous amount of garlic, cayenne, and shredded honey crisp apples. They  get baked until they’re perfectly brown and crispy on the outside, then tossed in a sweet apple cider glaze. The result is a sweet and savory tender meatball.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Apple Cider Glazed Meatballs

Savory meatballs with a sweet and spicy glaze. Serve them as an appetizer or over pasta or rice.

Yield: 20 meatballs

Total Time: 35 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1 and 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup shredded apple (see note)
3 tablespoons onion, finely diced
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Glaze

1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon apple butter
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Directions:

Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix to combine. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place the meatballs on a cookie grate on top of an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Glaze

In a small bowl, add all of the ingredients, except the scallions. Whisk to combine.

Add the mixture to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and let simmer for 2 minutes until the glaze thickens. Add the meatballs to the pan and let cook for 1 minute to coat. Top with chopped scallions.

 

Note:  After shredding the apple, place in a paper towel or clean kitchen towel and squeeze out juice.

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

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