Green Chile Meatballs
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.
Servings: 48 meatballs
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 sauté pan, brown 1/2 large yellow onion (minced) in 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
- To make the meatballs, combine sauteed onions, 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 large egg, 2 cups cheese crackers (crushed), and 1/2 cup roasted 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°F oven for 20-25 minutes. For easier clean up, line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Meanwhile, make the white cheddar sauce by melting 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, stir, and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to smell toasty. Whisky in 1 cup milk and continue to whisk until a smooth gravy forms after about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups extra sharp white cheddar (grated).
- 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
Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
