Super Easy Appetizers for a Christmas Party

This recipe is sure to be a hit at any Christmas or any other holiday party. This recipe is one that has been used in our family since the very first time I invented it and the Children and every other adult at our home for the holidays that year made me promise that this would be on our Christmas Eve menu EVERY year. Last year we did not make these wonderful appetizer and we almost had a mutiny on our hands. Since we have 15 children, 8 of them grown, the amounts here will be listed in mega amounts, but, I will also put the directions for about 8 people on here as well. The regular recipe serves approximately 30-40 people, depending on if there are any big eaters, you may have some leftovers, but these reheat well and are great for lunch with rice the next day too. This recipe is my very own original recipe.

Smaller batch amounts are in [ brackets. ]

Hawaiian Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 Super large bag of 3/4 inch meatballs (or 4 regular size bags) These are the medium size meatballs. [2 regular size bags for smaller batch.]

4-6 jars of either Kraft sweet and sour sauce (yellowish clear sauce) OR 6 jars of La Choy sweet and sour sauce (pinkish red color).[2 jars]

2 large cans of Pineapple chunks in juice. Drained. [1 large can]

2 jars of maraschino cherries (without stems, or de-stem them) Drained. [1 jar]

1 large onion chopped into large chunks (about 1 inches square) [1 medium or 1/2 large]

2 large green bell peppers chopped into (about 1 inch chunks square) [1 pepper]

10 cups of streamed rice--optional, to be served with if desired. [4-6 cups, if desiered]

Bake meatballs in oven according to package directions. (This may take more than one batch of meat balls.) Pour grease into jar or whatever you used to dispose of grease. Put meatballs into extra large slow cooker such as a crock pot. Pour sauce over meatballs. Put in pineapple chunks, cherries, onions, and peppers. Mix well, folding and coating all vegies and meatballs well with sweet and sour sauce. Cook on medium or high heat stirring often for approximately 30 to 45 minutes (Just enough to cook the vegies enough to still be 'crispy' but not cold and hard.) Lower the temperature to low or warm setting, and will be hot and ready to serve when needed. These meatballs can be forgotten, except to stir occasionally, for hours ahead of time, and will be ready when needed. Steamed Rice can be made in a rice cooker, when done keep on warm setting until ready to use OR make some minute rice and put into another smaller slow cooker to keep warm until needed. Just put slowcooker and rice cooker on buffet table or table with serving spoons and allow guests to serve themselves if desired. If desired, meatballs can be made from scratch using low fat ground beef, sirloin, or even ground chicken or turkey meatballs could be used for a lower calorie, more healthy version. Sweet and sour sauce can also be made from scratch, but to save time, using the premade items tastes just as good, and we have done both methods.