Green Chile Cheddar Meatballs

5 from 7 votes

Five ingredient Green Chile Cheddar Meatballs are easy to make, taste fantastic with white cheddar cheese sauce, & can be eaten as a main dish or appetizer.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: meatballs

Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

parchment paper
saucepan
baking sheet
sauté pan
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

meatballs:

1/2 large yellow onion minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large egg
2 cups cheese crackers crushed
1/2 cup roasted green chile minced

cheese sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups extra sharp white cheddar grated

Instructions

In a saute pan, brown onions in butter over medium high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
To make the meatballs, combine sauteed onions, ground beef, egg, cracker crumbs, and green chile in large bowl. Use hands to thoroughly mix. Form into small balls about the size of a tablespoon and bake in preheated at 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes. For easier clean up, line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Meanwhile, make the white cheddar sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, stir, and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to smell toasty. Whisky in the milk and continue to whisk until a smooth gravy forms after about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in grated white cheddar.
If serving for dinner, broccoli is a great side dish and cheddar sauce can go on everything. If serving as game day grub, serve cheddar sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

Makes about 4 dozen. Nutritional info based on 1 meatball with cheese sauce.

Cooking tips:

The smaller you cut the onion and green chile, the easier the meatballs will be to form.
For the cheese crackers, you can use anything like Goldfish or Cheez-Its.
Roasted Hatch green chile is the best. You can usually find it at Farmers Markets or stores like Whole Foods in late summer. You can also order it frozen direct from New Mexico. Alternatively, you can use canned diced green chile that has been drained.
It is highly recommended that you grate a block of cheddar instead of buying a bag of pre-shredded cheddar. Freshly grated cheese always melts better than the pre-cut cheese in the bag.

Nutrition