An empty plate is a great compliment!

Every once in awhile I get creative. It usually involves paper and kids crafts, or icing and a cake, but sometimes it involves dinner.

I don't do it too often because some of the people I feed are picky and usually refuse to eat whatever I've been creative with. No matter how good it ends up being.

Despite this, I got creative with dinner, and made bbq'd meatball skewers. And when I said that dinner involved meatball skewers, I got some looks. Some "that is weird" and "are you serious?" looks.

The meatballs I had made in advance, mixing ground beef and finely diced onions together, and baking them off on the broiler pan in the oven. I made alot of meatballs and froze most of them in ziploc bags for future meals. The rest I saved for the bbq.

Threaded on soaked bamboo skewers with red pepper slices, red onions and pineapple chunks, the skewers were grilled over a medium heat on the bbq, turned frequently, before being basted with the sweet meatball sauce I had made to go with them.

Served with a side of steamed jasmine rice tossed with green onion slices, these fun kabobs went over well with 2 of my 3 picky eaters.

They both even had seconds.

Sweet Meatball Sauce

1/8 cup vinegar
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons juice from pineapple*

*The pineapple juice does not have a specific amount as it was the juice that had collected in the bottom of the container of peeled and cored pineapple I had bought. I simply used all the juice that was there.

Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and stir to combine and break up any cornstarch lumps. Heat to a gentle boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Keep warm.

Meatball skewers

red onion chunks
red pepper chunks
cored and peeled pineapple, cut into largish chunks
precooked meatballs - homemade is best
Sweet Meatball sauce, warm

Alternate the onions, peppers, pineapple and meatballs on a soaked wooden skewer. Place on grill of bbq that has been preheated to medium heat. Turn frequently so that all sides get a chance to caramelize. When red peppers seem cooked, baste with warm sweet sauce, turning to be sure to baste all sides.

Enjoy!

5 comments:

Brilynn said...

There definitely wouldn't be leftovers if I was there, those looks great!

Peabody said...

Mmm, I love sweet meatballs. I always hope people will have those at a party.

Karen Baking Soda said...

Yum! For some reason they call them Bear Bites over here... and no, clueless.

Janet said...

A cup of ketchup... so I guess you got to use up some homemade?? I would have assumed that the meatballs would crumble when you tried to thread them onto the skewers. Great idea, I bet my kids would like this.

Glenna said...

mmmm... those meatballs look great and they're my husband's favorite...might be making meatballs soon!