Friday Night Bites | Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs

Hubby LOVES a great cocktail meatball!  If he could enjoy these little nuggets of joy everyday, I am sure he would.  Recently on Pinterest, one of my social media addictions (smile), I came across this recipeand immediately pinned to make and share on my weekly series – Friday Night Bites. I essentially doubled the sauce recipe, altered a few measurements and added a bit of garlic powder.

We had plans last weekend to get together with one of our neighbors for wine and appetizers.  This gathering had been completely overdue.  With exceedingly busy lives, it seems more challenging to set aside time to simply enjoy getting together with friends and get a mutually convenient date on the calendar.  Last weekend was that weekend – we made it work – yeah!

We enjoyed a mini progressive wine and appetizer get together.  Hubby and I started over at our neighbor’s house to enjoy a lovely bottle of Riesling from Germanyalong with a beautiful spread of tasty appetizers.  The final stop in this mini progressive appetizer dinner was our house.  We joked by asking each other, “Who was going to drive to the next house?” If you know me, I never want my guests to go hungry, so of course I cooked up a feast of appetizers.

The Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs were the hands down favorite.  They could not be simpler to make.  I served a 2009 Sonoma Valley ‘Montecillo’ Cabernet Sauvignon from Keating Wines. This wine has dark fruit that was prominent on both the palate and nose, along with hints of cedar and a smoky edge and was perfectly balanced.  I picked up three bottles on my last trip to Sonoma. In my opinion, this is a hidden gem of a winery in Sonomaand well worth a visit!

Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs

1 Pound Frozen Meatballs (I used the party meatballs from Trader Joe’s)

1 Cup Ketchup

1 Cup Brown Sugar

½ Cup Bourbon Whiskey

2 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

In a medium sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients except the meatballs.  Mix until well combined.

Place the frozen meatballs into the sauce and combine.  Let cook on medium heat until slightly bubbly.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least one hour.  Serve with toothpicks or small cocktail forks.