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My husband’s famous Schweddy Balls are so good that they will have you stuffing your mouth this holiday season. The are bite sized cocktail meatballs with cranberry and chili sauce, warmed to perfection in the slow cooker, and are quickly eaten at any holiday party or game day gathering.
Hello! Â This is Krissy’s husband. I’ve never written anything on her blog, but she loves my Schweddy Balls so much that she wanted me to come on here and tell everyone about how good they are. Â My Scheddy Balls have been enjoyed by countless people, young & old, men & women alike, for years now. Especially around the holidays, people start to beg for them. Then, after the holidays pass and people start thinking about all the good stuff they want to shove in their mouths during the Superbowl, my Schweddy Balls are the first thing that comes to mind. Â These Schweddy Balls have been perfectly shaped by hand, are the perfect size to fit one (or two if you have a big appetite) in your mouth, and aren’t as salty as a lot of the other balls out there my wife has tried.
My famous Schweddy Balls start with an easy to make basic meatball recipe. Its important to handle the balls gently and not over work them. Size matters – no one wants to stuff a Schweddy Ball into their mouth if its too big. Also, if its too big or too small, the flavor ratio with the sauce is always off.  Oh yes, the sauce. Its so delicious, yet almost hard to even describe. My wife says my Schweddy Ball sauce is just the right amount of sweet with the right amount of tangy and it has the perfect amount of flavor needed to compliment the balls.  If kept warm in a slow cooker, these Schweddy Balls can last all night, but they typically don’t because they’re the first thing people go for at any party.  Hope you enjoy my Schweddy Balls as much as my wife and all our friends do! Enjoy!
Oh, and if you enjoyed hearing about my version of Schweddy Balls, be sure to check out my cousin, Pete, talking about his balls on The Delicious Dish on NPR.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/4156
SCHWEDDY BALLS
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatball:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef grass fed if available
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley minced
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 onion very small or 1/2 large onion, minced
Sauce:
- 1 cup homemade cranberry sauce see recipe in notes
- 1/2 cup chili sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Make some homemade cranberry sauce (make lots because you can use it for all sorts of things).
- To make the meatballs, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, combine ground beef, egg, parsley, bread crumbs, and diced onion. Use hands to mix until all ingredients are well combined, but try not to over mix. For balls into bite sized balls, about the size of a large walnut, and evenly space on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes or until nicely browned on top. If making ahead, store in refrigerator in airtight container until ready to serve.
- To serve as an awesome appetizer, combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, and lemon juice in a slow cooker. Add meatballs and toss to coat. Turn to low until heated through, then reduce heat to warm to keep warm throughout the night. Recipe easily doubles or triples if you're serving a crowd.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What brand of chili sauce do you recommend?
I usually use Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce but any brand, including Heinz, will work.
I was so looking forward to serving these at my company’s holiday potluck. I filled a tray with my Schweddy Balls, but I didn’t know that that day the boss had allowed people to bring their pets to work. I set the tray down in the conference room, and when I came back several dogs were licking my balls!!! Argh!
Can I ask how long they would need to cook in a slow cooker? I would just like to make them in a slow cooker.
Hiya! Want to make these for a get together with some friends. But it’s summer and I can’t find cranberries to save my life. Would a canned sauce work??? Thank you!
It would, but you can sometimes find frozen cranberries in the frozen fruit section depending on where you live. Enjoy!
Can’t wait to get home and try these! These would be great for a party.
You know what they say; It’s not a good party until someone puts their balls out on the table for people to enjoy!
I think these Schweddy Balls taste best when they are aged….but the recipe has to change a little to account for the more ‘mature’ gamey flavor acquired with the aging process. The change is only a minor one, though. You just have to dangle them dangerously close to your toilet’s water, and just let them barely touch it so as to slightly dilute the dried, wrinkly, gamey, and earthy exterior of the Schweddy Balls. You will note that the older the balls are, i.e., the more aged they are, the easier it will be to get them to touch the water, so don’t let them drop in too much!
Wow, Dang Lee, such great feedback! Bwhwhahahahaha!
My Grandpa Drew, god bless him, used to love to cook for the family. Especially around the holidays! He used to make a dish very similar to this (sans the cranberry). He used to use applewood bacon bits and Vermont maple syrup for the sweetness. Not sure the exact recipe as Grandpa Drew never wrote anything down, but going from memory:
Grandpa Drew P. balls
2 pounds ground beef lean
1 pound ground pork
2 egg
1/8 cup basil (chopped)
1 cup Japanese Panko
1clove of garlic, diced
Sauce:
1/2 cup vermont maple syrup
8 strips of applewood bacon bits (cooked)
1/2 cup of Gates Kansas City BBQ sauce
1-2 small chilli peppers diced
Drew P. balls. Hahahaha!!! You just made my morning. I must say your recipe sounds amazing. I would definitely eat two at a time. -Krissy
Can you make ahead and freeze the schweddy balls and cranberry sauce?
You bet you can!
Be aware though that they might shrink in size if frozen!
I WAS IN THE POOL!
I’m looking forward to prepare, serve, and try your Schweddy Balls for the first time! I guess you could say I’m a virgin when it comes to Schweddy Balls. Having seen the famous Delicious Dish program many years ago, today I decided to ask Google how I could get ahold of them. Low and behold, here they are, right in my hand. I’m sure they’ll drive me nuts!
Thank you, from me and my slow cooker!
Bone appetìte!
Jeffrey Titcomb
p.s. When I have finished doing yours, I’ll send some pics of mine, so you can see how they came out!
So much YES in this comments!!! Thanks for the laughs. 🙂 -Krissy
Will those be unsolicited Schweddy Ball pics?
LOL!! Love it!! Good times, good times!
Yes. Good times, great fun indeed!