It’s football season, which for me translates to football food! If I’m being honest, I could give or take the game, but I LOVE the let’s-get-together-and-eat-and-drink part. And what do people want to eat when it’s football Sunday, or Monday or Thursday or whenever? They want Buffalo Wings, those stick-to-your-fingers, mess-making, spicy as all get out wings. Except me. I don’t want that.
I don’t want sticky fingers or a sauce so hot it’ll make me cry. I want Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, ground chicken (or turkey) seasoned and bathed in a not-so-spicy sauce of hot sauce (we live for Crystal Hot Sauce in my house), a little butter and blue cheese. The Blue Cheese Ranch Dipping sauce brings it home. I get all the familiar flavors of buffalo wings without the mess!
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs may not be the prettiest things you ever ate – ground chicken doesn’t quite achieve the warm, brown of ground beef and the hot sauce-butter combo gives the sauce an orange-red hue – but what these tasty bites lack in looks they more than make up for in the flavor department.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. Gridiron gold. Game day goodness. Get some.
TIPS:
Don’t overmix your meatball mix. They’ll be tough and dry if you handle them too much.
Roll meatballs so they’re about the same size so they’ll cook in the same amount of time.
TOOLS:
Large Bowl
Spoon
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TECHNIQUES:
Making Meatballs
Ingredients
For Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
For Sauce:
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
Blue Cheese Ranch Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until well-mixed.
- Roll chicken into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place them on a sheet tray lined with parchment or foil. Bake the meatballs for 12-15 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, combine the hot sauce and butter in a medium pan over low heat. Once the butter melts, whisk in the blue cheese. Whisk until the sauce is smooth. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce and stir until they’re evenly coated.
To make the Blue Cheese Ranch Dipping Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until well mixed.
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