Slow Cooker Recipes: Easy Holiday Meals (cont.)

2 tablespoons low-fat milk

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Dash or two freshly ground pepper

2-6 tablespoons nonalcoholic beer, chicken broth, or water

1/2 cup Heinz® chili sauce

1/2 cup red currant jelly

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients, mixing well with a wooden spoon or your hands. Form into about 40 bite-size meatballs.
2. Spray a nonstick frying pan with canola cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add the meatballs, cover the frying pan and brown them for about 5 minutes.
3. Turn the meatballs over, adding the beer or other liquid if necessary to prevent sticking. Cover and brown about 5 minutes more, or until meatballs are cooked through.
4. Turn your slow cooker on HIGH and add browned meatballs to the slow cooker crock. Combine the chili sauce and jelly and pour over the meatballs. After about an hour when the hot balls and sauce are good and hot, gently stir mixture, reduce heat to LOW and serve. Serve with toothpicks.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information: Per serving: 170 calories, 10 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 61 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 347 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28%.

Recipes provided by Elaine Magee; © 2008 Elaine Magee

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, is the "Recipe Doctor" for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic and the author of numerous books on nutrition and health. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

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