Does the name Jelly Meatballs make you stop and think? That’s the appeal in my opinion, lol. Our friend Karalynne from Just Ingredients shared a recipe a while back that included grape jelly in the meatball sauce. I had NEVER heard of such a thing and knew I’d have to give this a try.
Now, I have to tell you, her recipe calls for several ingredients that bring umami and balance, but they’re ingredients we don’t have access to as a food allergy family. With that in mind, I put my own spin on her creation to see if it was something that our family would enjoy.
Everyone felt the meal was acceptable, and had its good points, but it wasn’t their favorite meal by a long shot. So why am I sharing this with you? To inspire you!!
Working With New Ingredients Can Be Fun
Whilst this recipe isn’t going to win me an award any time soon, I had a lot of fun trying something new. Furthermore, it gave me an idea on how to incorporate other jelly flavors. The next jelly recipe I’m going to experiment with: Mango Jelly Chicken. Doesn’t that sound delicious??
What I have personally learned from living with more than 200 food allergies and intolerances is that there are so many ways to make something from what seems like nothing. Where there’s a will, there is a way to create safe and delicious food. Many of you RAISE Members have seen this first hand as we brainstorm new ways to use your very limited options.
If you’re struggling with limited options, the Master Food List (found in the 4 Day Rotation Guide) could be just what you need. We’ve listed hundreds of ingredients you may have never thought of. This will give you a starting point when testing out new ingredients.
How I Made Gluten Free Top 8 Free Jelly Meatballs
Karalynne makes her Jelly Meatballs in her crockpot. I opted to make a flavorful meat mix, then have Kid Three roll out large meatballs for me. Our meatballs were baked, then I added the sauce and returned it all to the oven.
I used this method because I wanted to make sure that the jelly was fully incorporated into the sauce before adding it to the meatballs.
While I will be sharing this recipe today, know that I’m doing so for experimental purposes only. If you see this and think, “I can make this in a way our family would love” then go for it. Should you choose to follow the recipe as is, it may not be your favorite RAISE recipe 🙂
Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Top 8 Allergens, Sesame, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Celery, Citrus, Cruciferous, Garlic, Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Rice, Strawberry, Squash & Gourd, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Yeast
Friendly To: EOE, Paleo
Meatball Ingredients:
1100g/40 ounces Ground Pork
1 pound organic Ground Turkey
8 TBSP Organic Dried Parsley
4 tsp Organic Smoked Paprika
4 tsp Sea Salt
3 tsp Organic Ancho Chili
1.5 tsp Organic Ground Mustard
1/2 tsp Organic Ground Chili
Directions, Part 1
Combine all of the ingredients for your meatballs. You can do this in a mixing bowl, or your food processor (if it’s large enough). Next, use a large cookie dough scooper or ice cream scooper to portion out the meat. Roll each portion into a nice meatball.
Bake your meatballs (covered with foil) in a glass oven baking dish at 425 for 20 minutes.
Sauce Ingredients
18 ounces Organic Diced Tomato
16 ounces Organic Grape Jelly Crofters
7 ounces Organic Tomato Paste
Liquid Smoke to taste
2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Organic Ancho Chili
Directions, Part 2
While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare your sauce in a sauce pan on the stove top. Be sure to mix well. I opted to break the jelly into smaller pieces at the start of the cooking.
Once the meatballs have baked for 20 minutes, carefully pour your sauce all over. Return the meatballs to the oven for 10 minutes at 350, without foil.
Note: We used diced tomato for added texture. You can see how it effects the sauce in the third photo below.
