This is my fast and easy go to meal when I am sick of the same old stuff or in a hurry. It is nice to throw together on a Sunday night then just warm it up during the week in the slow cooker. It is not too sweet or sour, and it has just the right mix of veggies and seasonings. Start with 1 tablespoon of chili powder, then add more if you prefer more heat! If you are worried about the cooking wine and serving this to children, NO WORRIES! The alcohol cooks out! If you are wondering why this is in the pasta category, read to the bottom to find out.

If you don’t eat beef, this taste good with ground turkey or ground chicken. I have tried it all 3 ways. The chicken was by far my favorite though.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup Holland House Red Wine Vinegar (Print and Save $.50 now!)
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef, chicken or turkey)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried leaf oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red wine vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar.
2. Stir together to dissolve the sugar. Set it to the side.
3. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, combine your ground beef with the remaining ingredients.
4. Cook it over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes
5. You want to make sure that you don’t have big chunks of ground beef so I used a spatula and just “chop it” as I turn the meat.
6. If you aren’t using a lean meat, at this point you will want to drain off the grease and return it to the skillet.
7. Stir in the tomato mixture that you prepared earlier
8. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
9. Serve in buns or even over hot cooked pasta! It is delicious like this.
10. Makes 5 1/2 cups. Depending on how you like your buns piled, you can get 6 to 10 sandwiches from this.

Next time you are going to a cookout, or any other kind of  event where you will be bringing a dish pass, give these a try! I love meatballs and am always looking for new ways to jazz up the normal ones. I have tasted several different kinds of  ”Swedish meatballs” and honestly, they never taste the same. This one met my standards! It is an easy to make appetizer is always a party pleaser! Please let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

• 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Holland House White Cooking Wine ($.50 off printable coupon)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Sauce

• 1 jar (10 oz.) currant jelly
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup HOLLAND HOUSE White Cooking Wine
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

In medium bowl, combine all meatball ingredients; mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs in 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown.

In medium saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients; mix well. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Add meatballs.
To serve, place meatballs and sauce in fondue pot or chafing dish. Serve with cocktail picks.

Ever just realize that it’s dinner time and you have no idea what to make? Ever just stand there looking in the pantry thinking that you are tired of making the same stuff? I get this feeling at least twice a week. It is so simple and easy to use Holland House products everyday in your cooking. You can easily stir it into soups and sauces for an enhanced flavor.

Need some extra help making over your meals? Jump on over to the Holland House Facebook Page and enter the Meal Makeover Moms Sweepstakes!  Who are the The Meal Makeover Moms? They are registered dietitians who want to help our families eat healthier. Janice Newell Bissex and Liz Weiss say that kids will eat nutritious food without fussing about it if looks and tastes great.  Well of course! Who wants to eat something that looks gross and tastes nasty

I was very excited to try this recipe and I have to tell you I was a bit disappointed. It had nothing to do with the recipe being good or bad, it was good, it just wasn’t for us. This is only my second encounter with cooking wines and I expected more of the wine taste to cook off. I don’t drink so the called for amount was a bit much. My friend, who is an ex chef, even thought it was a bit much. I listed the recipe as written originally but with some suggestions. I used Spaghetti even though I originally was going to use Angel hair. I thought the chunky sauce might be a little much for the fine pasta. I hope you will give this a try and let me know what you think! It was very easy to prepare.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. bacon, cooked, drained, chopped
2 cans (28 oz. each) plum or crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1 c Holland House Red Cooking Wine (I recommend only 1/2 to 3/4 c)
Ground pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste (I didn’t use)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 lb. pasta, cooked (I used Spaghetti)

Directions

Heat oil in heavy pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft. Stir in garlic and bacon for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, wine and spices. Simmer on low, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta, with cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

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