By Lori Ross  for Cooking Challenge Seven from Janet McLaughlin for a Pirate and the Sea Themed Birthday Party. 

Kids and adults alike adore cocktail meatballs in sauce.  Serve them with toothpick swords!

Meatballs (makes 30 meatballs)

1 lb ground beef 

1 lb ground pork 

½ cup minced onions 

½ cup minced celery 

1 ½ cup bread crumbs 

3-4 eggs 

Salt and black pepper to taste 

In a large mixing bowl, combine meats, onions, celery, salt, pepper and eggs. Using your hands, blend all ingredients.  Mix in bread crumbs. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs and sauté in 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil until nicely browned (or bake in oven at 325 degrees for 60 minutes).

While meatballs are cooking, make a sauce.  Place cooked meatballs in sauce and warm through; pour into covered casserole and serve with plastic sword toothpicks!

3 Sauces Kids Love:

Sweet and Spicy Sauce: Mix equal parts chili sauce and grape jelly (or other favorite jelly). Combine ingredients in pan, bring to a boil, stir in meatballs and cook for 10 minutes or so until meatballs are heated through

Sweet and Sour Sauce: Mix ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 13 oz. can pineapple chunks, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy, 1 chopped green pepper. Combine all ingredients in pan, bring to a boil, stir in meatballs and cook 10 minutes.

Sweet and Smoky: Mix 2 cups ketchup, 1 ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup minced onion, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1/8 teaspoon cloves. . Combine all ingredients in pan, bring to a boil, stir in meatballs and cook 10 minutes.

Variations:   

• Use frozen cocktail meatballs in place of homemade.  

• Use your child’s favorite BBQ sauce or Marinara sauce instead of making sauces

• Replace meatballs with cocktail franks and call them PIRATE DOGS!

• Use already cooked meatless meatballs if you want a vegetarian dish.