Buffalo Meatballs #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl:

I was having a little party, just a few guests.  I’m not into “big” parties. I used to be. Too many people. Too many dishes.  LOL

But a small soiree? Perfect.

I wanted it to be entirely appetizers. I think finger food really helps people move around and chat with others.  

I searched through a lot of my cookbooks to find some recipes. I thought it would be fun to try dishes I hadn’t tried in the past.

Now, I’ve made beef meatballs for years. I cook them and season them with soy sauce and they’re delicious. But I wanted spicy. Hot. And I wanted them to be chicken or turkey.

I found this recipe in Best of Food and Wine.

I thought they’d be hot because of the hot sauce. They weren’t! Hmm. They were tasty but not hot.  What could I do? Nothing that night.

But…I fixed them again the next day for myself. I rolled the already cooked meatballs in hot sauce and reheated them. And then I paired them with dips (other than catsup), which really made them quite special.

Just a “life” note: always feel free to tweak a recipe to spice up your life.

Mini Buffalo chicken Balls

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup red hot sauce

1 pound ground turkey

1 large egg

½ celery stalk, minced

¾ cup bread crumbs (I used Ian’s gluten-free)

1 teaspoon salt

*See note re: hot sauce below

*Dips:  blue cheese, catsup, barbecue sauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Drizzle the vegetable oil into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan (I used a disposable one) and evenly coat the surface. Set aside.

Combine the butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat, whisking until the butter is melted and fully incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

Combine the hot sauce mixture, ground turkey, egg, celery, breadcrumbs, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix by hand until incorporated.

Roll the mixture into round, ¾-inch balls, and pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, lining them up and making them snug. They SHOULD be touching one another.

Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

*Note – I’d like MORE hot sauce in the recipe or you might consider rolling in more hot sauce before putting in the baking dish as I did on the second day when I did a reheat just for myself.

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