Sweet & Sour Meatballs have been served at several family weddings (including mine), and everyone always wants the recipe! My mother-in-law is famous for them, and they have become famous in my neighborhood as well…for good reason!  They are easy to prepare, they freeze well, and they are absolutely delicious.
{Tip: if planning to serve them at a wedding, have more than two people there to make them. My sister-in-law and I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning making them for one wedding. 1100 meatballs, just the two of us.  It was a long night! But you will never want any other meatball after having these.}

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion (or 1/4 c dehydrated onion)
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and blend well.
2. Form into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter (I like to use my cookie scoop, it’s just the right size).
3. Place in casserole dish in a single layer (a 9×13 pan will hold up to 54 for the size I make).

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 3 tsp prepared mustard
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions: 

1. Combine all ingredients and pour over meatballs.
2. Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake 30 minutes.  Serve over rice.  Be sure to spoon some extra sauce over the meatballs and rice.

*You can make these a day ahead and cool in the refrigerator. The fat can easily be removed before reheating and serving.

*These are great for showers. I bake them for fifteen minutes (no sauce), and then put them in the crockpot with the sauce to finish cooking. Always a hit. Fun to serve with cheese cubes and a good, crusty bread like this easy, amazing french bread.

*These freeze very well. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place meatballs close together, but do NOT let them touch. Cover. Place in freezer. When frozen, remove from pan to a freezer bag, label, and return to freezer. I always make the sauce when I cook them, but you can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate, OR put in a quart size freezer bag, and include it in the bag with the frozen meatballs.