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A spicy spin on a classic holiday appetizer – Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs using La Morena® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – 7 oz can will bring some Latin flare to your next holiday party!
They’re here. The holidays. How in the world did they sneak up on me so fast?! Every year I say I’m going to get ahead of the game and plan ahead and host a Friendsgiving and buy Christmas presents early and make fancy festive food for holiday parties. But somehow the holidays arrive and I’m not ready.
So let’s get ready! Today I am partnering with Jewel-Osco and La Morena® to celebrate the holidays! Be sure to check out this amazing sweepstakes for an incredible giveaway!
Now, it should be no surprise to you that I love Mexican food – as evidenced by the number of taco recipes on this blog. I grew up in a household where we had tacos once a week; but Mexican food was never present at our holiday gatherings. I’m going to change that.
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Last weekend as I was grocery shopping, I was admiring the recently renovated Jewel-Osco (the Broadway and Addison location for all my Chicago readers!) and had to smile as I turned down the aisle containing the Mexican food. The aisle (3b) goes by the name ‘Cornelia Avenue’; Cornelia Avenue is the first street that I lived on when I moved to Chicago. It was a small, grungy studio apartment; but it was all mine and I loved it. Cornelia Avenue holds a very special place in my heart.
Do you ever have those moments where you just feel like you are in the exact right place? Yea, that is exactly how that felt.
For these slow cooker meatballs, I used chipotle peppers to balance the sweetness from the cranberry sauce with a little spice. And they are such a simple appetizer to throw together and bring to a holiday party. I adore low maintenance dishes and I especially love foods that can be cooked, served, and kept warm in the same container.
Oh I love the holidays, even when they sneak up on me. I hope you are taking some time out of your busy schedules to slow down, relax, and enjoy this wonderful season with family, friends, and food!
How are you going to use La Morena® to celebrate the holidays this year? Tell me in the comments below!
If you make these Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs or any of my recipes, don’t forget to post a picture on social media and use the hashtag #imhungrybynature for a chance to be featured!
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Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooker
Description
A spicy spin on a classic holiday appetizer – Slow Cooker Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs using La Morena® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – 7 oz can will bring some Latin flare to your next holiday party!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pre-cooked frozen turkey meatballs, thawed
- 1 14.5 ounce can whole berry cranberry jelly
- 3 peppers from La Morena® Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – 7 oz can, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle peppers can
- 1/2 can La Morena® Chipotle Sauce
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on high.
Keywords: meatballs, appetizer, slow cooker, party
Don’t forget to head over to your local Jewel-Osco to pick up some La Morena® products to bring some Latin flare to your holiday meal!
What a beautiful and easy idea to entertain at home for the holidays. Loving all the flavor combinations. ~ Client
Thanks Adriana! The cranberry and chipotle together are a wonderful pair and it was such an easy way to entertain!!
These look delicious and perfect little bites for a holiday party! Love the combo of sweet and spicy!
Thank you Jessica! That’s why I love them too!
It shows the can of peppers, but not an additional can of Chipotle sauce, so is there a second can or is this all part of the one can pictured?
#soincomplete
Hi JC! The chipotle sauce is a separate can. Chipotle peppers are packaged with adobo sauce and I added an additional can of chipotle sauce. Enjoy!
yes, I love everything about these . . the beef, the spice, the easy
Thanks Jennifer – and yes, they are SO easy!
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I absolutely LOVE chipotle peppers in adobo. and I’m a sucker for sweet/spicy combo. Love the recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks Katie! If you make them, let me know what you think!
I seriously can’t want to try these. They look amazing!
Thank you Liz!!
I love the combo of sweet and spicy! Mexican food is one of my favorites too and I love that you brought it to the holidays.
Thanks so much Kelly! I don’t know why I don’t eat Mexican food more around the holidays – it’s my favorite!
What is the green garnish on the meatballs? Cilantro?
Yep! Cilantro is one of my favorite flavors in Mexican dishes… some people hate it, but I love it!
Having a hard time finding chipotle sauce
Jaclyn – La Morena sells it wherever they sell the rest of their products. I purchased mine at jewel of you are in the Chicagoland area. If not, you can purchase another brand – just check the Mexican food aisle in the grocery store by the enchilada sauce!
Also had a hard time finding chipotle sauce and what size can?.. do u think chipotle salsa would b good?
The can I used was 7 ounces… but if you really like spicy food, you could just use more adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers) or salsa or even siracha – anything with some kick!
Trying these for my Holiday Open House this Friday! Cannot wait to make, eat and see how well these delicious sounding meatballs will go over for my early shopping GNO ladies event. Your recipes sound amazing as I just followed your Hungry by Nature page on Pinterest, and will be sure to try more!
Wonderful – please let me know how the ladies like them!! Thanks for following along. Let me know if there is a recipe for something specific that you would like to see!
Making this for a party this weekend. I could not find the Chipotle sauce. I bought instead Cholula Chipotle hot sauce. Will that work and how much do you think I should use?
Hi Margaret! The Cholula would be good – the chipotle version is pretty spicy so I wouldn’t use more than 1/8 cup unless you really like spice. You could also add in a few more Tablespoons of the adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers! Let me know how it goes!
Could u use beef or sausage meatballs instead of turkey?
Hi Susan! You definitely could use either, but I think beef would be better. I like using turkey because it is very milk and easily absorbs all of the flavors of the sauce; but I think beef would do just the same! Let me know if you make them with another meat!!
This sounds delicious I want to make them for a party this weekend…. is the Chipotle combined with the Adobo sauce hot? Meaning spicy hot?
It is, yes. The adobo sauce is quite spicy in itself and the Chipotle sauce will also add some more kick. If you wanted to cool it down a bit, I would add an additional can of the cranberry sauce. Let me know how you like them!
Can you throw in meatballs frozen instead of thawed?
Definitely! I would just cook them a little longer – maybe an hour longer – and check make sure they are warmed through!
These sound delicious! And I haven’t been to the Jewel on Bway & Addison in forever, since we moved from Lakeview. I’ll have to check it out again. Is there a particular brand of turkey meatballs you recommend??
Thanks Paul! They completely redid that Jewel location and it is much more organized and way cleaner and I like shopping there a lot more. I always buy the Trader Joe’s frozen turkey meatballs, but any brand should work!
Is “whole berry cranberry jelly” the same as “whole berry cranberry sauce”?
Hi Donna – Yes it is! I used Ocean Spray’s variety. I hope you love these as much as I do!
Hi Ellie, can I skip the peppers for the meatballs to be less spicy?
Hi Sunny! Most definitely – you can add or remove the peppers as you would like! You can also add a second can of the berry sauce to cut down on the heat as well. Enjoy!
this looks amazing!!!
Thanks so much Karen!!
I love everything I’ve read about this recipe and cannot wait to try it!!! I also love this cranberry sauce but hate that it is made with high fructose corn syrup! For those that don’t know, it is a cancer causing additive that should be avoided at all costs! I still use it for Thanksgiving b/c I
Love the taste and figure I serve it to my family
Every once in a while!
I am Latina, love Mexican healthy (turkey) recipes
and will be following my new friend La Morena!!???
Thank you Jane! I try to avoid it at all costs too, but thought it would be just perfect for this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!!
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JANE RIVERA WISNIEWSKI its so easy to make cranberry sauce. Dump a bag on stove with some sugar and I like to add some OJ concentrate or orange juice. Cook slow until berries pop, simmer a few mintues and then strain thru collander for no peels smooth sauce. The natural pectin in the cranberry makes it set up.
I am using the last of my fresh to make this today.
Ellie – Curious on the chipolte sauce – HALF of 7 oz can? Just want to confirm because I’m sketchy on the heat factor. And if I want to lessen heat could i throw the diced peppers in at the end?
Hi Dawn! That is correct – I used half a can in the recipe. If you want to lessen the heat, you could add one less pepper or one less tablespoon of adobo sauce. I’m not sure if adding them in at the end would cut down on the heat that much.
I made this dish today for a family game night gathering. I followed the recipe exactly. The meatballs were a big hit, and were completely delicious. Thanks for this recipe!
★★★★★
I am so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed them!! Happy New Year!
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