Apple, Cheddar, and Turkey Meatballs CrockPot Recipe

Day 250.

I can't believe I've sat and typed at a brand "new post" screen for 250 days in a row. I am beginning to not remember what I used to do each morning. I certainly didn't eat cold meatballs for breakfast with my coffee.

I hate it that I'm posting this on a Saturday, because Internet traffic is terribly low on Saturday, and these are so good I feel like bowling them down the street. 1) to show-off these terribly awesome meatballs, and 2) to dissipate the pack of tweens with skateboards hanging out on the corner.

The Ingredients.

--1 1/2 pound extra lean ground turkey
--1 egg
--1 tsp kosher salt
--1 tsp ground black pepper
--1 tsp onion powder
--1 green apple, peeled and shredded
--1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
--1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

The Directions.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey with the ingredients. I used my hands.

Make golf-ball sized meatballs, and drop them into your crockpot. I used a 6 quart crockpot, but you could use any size over 3 quart, probably. These made enough meatballs to feed our family of 4 for dinner, with 8 leftover for breakfast and lunch. If you have a large family, or would like to cook enough to freeze, double or triple the recipe. You can definitely stagger-stack the meatballs on top of each other.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 5-9---the cooking time will depend on how many meatballs are in the crock, and the size of your machine. The more full it is, the longer it will take to cook.

I cooked 1 1/2 pounds of meatballs in a 6 quart for exactly 4 hours on high. I could have left them in a bit longer to brown the ones on the very top, but we were hungry.
While they cook, juice will collect on the bottom of the crock, and the meatballs will start off getting bright white and slimy looking. Don't be alarmed---they will continue to cook and will begin to brown. They (miraculously enough!) don't seem to stick together in a big blob---you'll be able to separate them.

The Verdict.

We all really liked these a lot. They're delicious. Moist, flavorful, and fun to pop in your mouth. I did need to fish the cranberries out of my three-year-old's plate, because evidently eating warm cranberries is "wrong."