Cranberry Orange Meatballs (AIP/Paleo)

Cranberry Orange Meatballs (AIP/Paleo) are versatile, and can be served as a holiday appetizer, or as a main dish. All fresh ingredients!

Hello, Friend! I’ve been thinking a lot about the upcoming holidays this year, and realizing that they will likely be different than any we have experienced. Will there be big family gatherings? Are people going to travel? Will some of us (ahem 🙋🏼‍♀️) have no desire to cook a giant meal because things just don’t feel too festive this year…?

I guess we will find out the answers to these questions.

But while I was thinking about this, I got the idea to make a holiday meal in a bite! Ha! So these meatballs can be made with ground turkey (shown here), or ground chicken. The meatballs themselves have among their ingredients zest of an orange and some fresh rosemary. The sauce is made with fresh cranberries and squeezed orange juice, sweetened a bit with pure maple syrup.

You can serve these as a main dish next to some AIP Mashed “Potatoes” and Maple Sage Carrots. Maybe, when we can all happily gather in large groups, you could serve these as an appetizer with picks at a holiday party. Or you know what? Have ’em for breakfast! Why not?

Helpful equipment

You won’t need special equipment, but there are a couple of things that will make your life easier when making this recipe. Get yourself a one tablespoon cookie scoop for making the meatballs. Also, I find it helpful to line my roasting pan with a silicone liner. No sticking!

Whether you decide to put on a big spread this year, or chuck the traditions altogether, I wish you p e a c e. And, as always, I’m wishing you great love, and deep healing!

💗,

Wendi

P.S. Have you signed up for The Wendi-zine, my monthly magazine? It’s freeeee! And when you sign up, you will receive recipes for a full spaghetti dinner from appetizer to dessert as a thank you. Sign up in the side bar. Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into. 😉

Cranberry Orange Meatballs (AIP/Paleo)

Recipe by Wendi’s AIP Kitchen – http://www.wendisaipkitchen.com Course: Appetizers, Holiday, Main, ThanksgivingCuisine: AIP, PaleoDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Cranberry Orange Meatballs (AIP/Paleo) are versatile, and can be served as a holiday appetizer, or as a main dish. All fresh ingredients!

Ingredients

• For the meatballs:

• 1 lb. 1 ground turkey or chicken

• 2 TBSP 2 finely chopped onions

• 1 TBSP 1 finely chopped fresh rosemary

• Fine zest of one orange (I use a microplane rasp for this purpose.)

• 1 tsp 1 sea salt

• For the sauce:

• 1/3 cup 1/3 freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1/3 cup 1/3 pure maple syrup

• 1/3 cup 1/3 water

• 1 cup 1 fresh cranberries

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 sea salt, or to taste

• 1/2 TBSP 1/2 arrowroot starch/flour

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together meat, onions, rosemary, orange zest and 1 teaspoon salt with a fork. (Less sticky on the hands.)
• With a one tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the meat mixture onto a parchment- or silicone-lined roasting tray. You should end up with at least two dozen meatballs. Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile….👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
• In a large saucepan, bring orange juice, maple syrup and water to a boil. Add cranberries and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring back to boil. Then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 10 minutes, smushing the berries as they cook. Whisk in arrowroot until there are no flour lumps remaining. Turn heat to low. Taste for salt.
• When meatballs are done, carefully add them to the saucepan. Gently turn meatballs until they are all coated. Serve with AIP Mashed Potatoes and Maple Sage Carrots, or as an appetizer with picks.

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