meatballs: the perfect air freshener

Yesterday when Scott got home from work he took Thomas with him to the driving range for awhile. While they were gone I made the meatballs that we were going to have for dinner and put them in the oven to bake. When Thomas came home he kept telling me how good they smelled and then said, 'Your meatballs should be an air freshener!' :)

If he thinks they are that good I guess I should share the recipe with all of you! They are great as a main course or even as an appetizer.

Party Time Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cups dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

Sauce:
1 cup apricot preserves
1 cup prepared barbeque sauce of your choice (I usually use Cattleman's or Famous Daves.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking pan with foil; coat lightly with non-stick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, eggs, and onion. In a smaller bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, and thyme; mix thoroughly. Add the bread crumb mixture to the meat and egg mixture; mix lightly to combine all ingredients. Shape into balls (a 1 1/2-inch scoop works well to achieve even-sized portions).

Place meatballs on foil-lined pan. For the topping, combine preserves and barbeque sauce; spoon over meatballs. Bake 30-40 minutes or until meatballs are brown and firm. Serve warm.

Recipe source: Cooking with Confidence