And yes, bourbon, because I’m a KY girl and bourbon is a great ingredient to cook with (and to drink - a shot for the meatballs, a sip for me) Start by putting the meatballs in a medium/large saucepan. You can use meatballs, or turkey meatballs ("potayto", "potahto"). Use what you like and/or what your guests will eat. Next, add the barbecue sauce to the meatballs. For the barbecue sauce, again, use whichever sauce you like. I love Stubbs - Sticky Sweet and have cooked with it for years. The jar of sauce I use is 18oz and the recipe calls for two cups. I use the whole bottle. I’m not really good at baking, probably because I eyeball ingredients when I cook. The next ingredient to go into the pan with the meatballs is, you guessed it, bourbon! You can use whatever KY straight bourbon whiskey you have on hand, or whichever one you have the most of, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it's bourbon and you like it, or don’t like it. You don’t have to be a bourbon drinker to like these meatballs. It’s kind of like when you add coffee to a chocolate brownie or cake recipe, you don’t really taste the coffee, it just enhances the flavor. And don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off, so you won’t get your guests and/or children buzzed off your meatballs! (Haha, could you imagine?!) The only other ingredient that goes into the pan with the meatballs, is honey. Stir the meatballs and the sauce and make sure they are all coated well. Turn the burner to medium-low, cover the meatballs and simmer for about 20 minutes. While the meatballs are swimming in that deliciously sticky, sweet sauce, go ahead and chop some chives for garnish. The best way I have found to chop chives is to wrap a little rubber band around the chives, close to the end, and use kitchen scissors to cut the ends off into a small bowl. After 20 minutes, give the meatballs another stir and then add them to a nice serving dish along with the sauce. Sprinkle the chopped chives to garnish the meatballs and they are ready for the party!
Recipe - Bourbon Glazed Meatballs
Serves: 12
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb frozen meatballs
2 cups barbecue sauce
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 honey
Chopped chives (for garnish)
Instructions
Place all ingredients (except chives) in a medium/large saucepan. Stir to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Cover the meatballs and simmer over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put the meatballs in a serving dish, and garnish with chopped chives.
