Cheap and yummy

Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs
Betty Crocker’s 4 in 1 Cookbook Collection Betty Crocker’s Hamburger Cookbook Copyright 1977,1973

Basic Meatballs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 can (13 ¼ ounces) pineapple chunks I used a 20 oz can of tidbits in 100% juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
½ cup coarsely chopped green pepper

Prepare Basic Meatballs and set aside. Mix cornstarch and sugar in large skillet. Stir in pineapple (with syrup), soy sauce and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Add cooked meatballs; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in green pepper; cover and simmer until pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. My sauce was a bit thick, probably from using the tidbits instead of chunks which I think have more pineapple than juice, even though it was a larger can than the recipe called for. I just added a little water.

4 or 5 servings.

Basic Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped (about ¼ cup) I used dried onion just because I was lazy
½ cup dry bread crumbs I used cracker meal because I wasn't paying attention and pulled out the wrong container
¼ cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients. Shape mixture by tablespoonfuls into 1 ½-inch balls.

Place meatballs in lightly greased baking pan. Bake uncovered in 400 degree oven until light brown, about 20 minutes. Drain off fat.

Makes 24 meatballs.
______________________

These meatballs were yummy. I made them ahead of time so the flavor from the sauce really penetrated the meatballs. I already had peppers in the freezer that I had picked up on clearance some time ago but I found some fresh ones on clearance last week so I used those instead. Otherwise, I just needed to pick up the pineapple. You know how I love a recipe that doesn't require the purchasing of many additional ingredients.

I served these over rice with LaChoy mini egg rolls on the side. LaChoy mini egg rolls aren't very good. I tried the small store in the next town for egg rolls (since the larger store in our town no longer carries any egg rolls!) and it was LaChoy or Ling Ling. I love Ling Ling egg rolls but they were around $6 for a package that didn't seem very large. I need to pick up egg rolls on my next Costco run so I don't have to run all over the place looking for egg rolls when I want them.

Question of the Day: Do you pick up clearance items like meat and vegetables and throw them in the freezer or do you just shop for what you need immediately? I can't resist a good markdown. Although, I won't buy marked down chicken that the store has added seasoning to (I never trust it when the store seasons fresh meat, clearance or not - I want to be able to smell if the meat is truly fresh).