Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
I wish I could say that I started my afternoon yesterday watching the Redskins edge out the Titans, before bearing witness to the Cowboys romp of my beloved Giants. No, I’m not a diehard football fan but the buzz of the crowd behind the drone of the commentators conjure up happy memories of my childhood. There was always some sports match-up being shown in my house, my father as excited about baseball from spring through fall as he was about football from fall through winter. In the summer, there was tennis. If there was a game, it was on.
These days, there’s almost nothing I like more than a lazy Sunday afternoon, curled up on the couch under a flannel throw, with sections of The New York Times scattered about and consecutive football games playing on the television. I don’t really watch the games but am comforted by the sounds. With two hockey players in my house (three if you count my husband but his games are played weeknights at 10pm), these Sundays are few and far between but oh, when the stars align and the 1:00 game is followed by another at 4…that’s a little slice of heaven.
As you would expect, this TV viewing is always accompanied by some tasty bites. Something satisfying and certainly not fussy, that keeps my family reaching for more while I stay firmly planted in my seat. If your family is not adverse to a little heat, these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, that I found on the blog Tablespoon, are the perfect football food–delicious, somewhat nutritious and able to be prepared in advance, in a slow-cooker no less. Of course, Buffalo Chicken Meatballs need not be confined to Sunday games, they are a great hors d’oeuvre to serve at any party or to round-out a buffet. These meatballs are a clever riff on wings and will happily satiate a crowd.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- 1 1/4 pound ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 c panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 c green onions, finely sliced
- 1 1/2 c buffalo sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce, you can use your favorite jarred buffalo wing sauce)
- 1/2 c blue cheese dressing (your favorite bottled dressing)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, kosher salt, celery salt, onion powder, pepper, and 1/3 cup of green onions.
- Mix well, roll into 20-30 round meatballs, about an inch to an inch and a quarter in diameter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs just until the outsides are firmed up, about 8 minutes (if using two baking sheets switch racks halfway through cooking time).
- Transfer meatballs into a slow cooker. Cover with buffalo sauce. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours.
- Serve meatballs with blue cheese sauce for dipping, and garnished with a sprinkling of the remaining green onions. Enjoy!