Honey Buffalo Meatballs

It’s kind of interesting how this pandemic has changed my cooking strategy. I’m normally a meticulous meal planner (not meal prepper – there’s a difference) as a way to stay organized and reduce my food waste. I would plan out a week’s worth of eats based on what I’m craving, what’s in season and how much time I have to cook that week, go grab groceries on the weekend and then be all set for the week ahead without having to pop back to the store. I’ve probably been doing this for about 10 years, so it’s just a part of my routine.

Of course this is all upended now, since I’m trying to only get groceries every two weeks. What’s also changed now is the type of things I’m cooking. Before, I mostly tried new recipes, with an old favourite thrown into the mix every now and then. But now, I’m really only cooking comfort food, and things I’ve made before. I don’t really feel like trying anything new, in case it doesn’t turn out or is a waste of ingredients that were so stressful to get in the first place.

To that end, I’ve been making a bunch of things from the ol’ Planet Byn archives, some go-to favourites, plus nostalgia based guilty pleasures. I also have this secret Pinterest board of things I’ve made that I’ve loved, but haven’t had a chance to blog. Well, now’s their chance to shine!

First up is these sweet and spicy meatballs. I freaking love a good meatball, especially with a sticky sweet sauce.  This one also has a healthy dose of hot sauce it in, so it’s also spicy. The apricot jam seems like a weird ingredient, but it basically just adds sugar (similar to the ketchup in this sauce) and you can’t taste it in the final sauce. I usually eat these with sweet potato wedges, but this week I made something else on the side that I’ll blog about next.

Honey Buffalo Meatballs

Source: Carlsbad Cravings

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 2 1/2 tbsp milk (water works in a pinch)
  • 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Frank’s (or another hot sauce)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apricot jam
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, panko, milk, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper with a fork. Add the ground beef and stir everything together with the fork (or your hands). Form into balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
  3. For the sauce, add everything to a large saucepan (the meatballs need to fit in too) and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer until sauce is bubbly and thick.
  4. Once the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and toss together until combined.