Irresistible Hawaiian Meatballs Cooked to Perfection

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• A pound of lean ground beef
• Three-quarters cup of crushed soda crackers
• A quarter cup of finely chopped onion (can be omitted)
• Two large eggs
• Two tablespoons of milk
• One crushed clove of garlic (optional)
• One and one-fourth teaspoons of salt
• A quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper
• A quarter teaspoon of ground ginger, adjust to taste
• Sauce:
• One and a half tablespoons of cornstarch, or as required
• One and a half tablespoons of water, as needed
• One can (14 ounces) of crushed pineapple with its juice
• One cup of brown sugar
• Half a cup of vinegar
• Three tablespoons of soy sauce

Step 1

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and have a baking sheet ready lined with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.

Step 2

In a spacious mixing bowl, combine ground beef, crushed soda crackers, diced onion, eggs, milk, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and a hint of ginger, ensuring they blend harmoniously. Shape into small-sized balls of 1 to 1 1/2 inches and place them gently onto the prepared baking sheet.

Step 3

Let them bake in the preheated oven until they turn a tempting shade of brown, which usually takes about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring together pineapple chunks with their juice, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir occasionally as you bring the mixture to a gentle boil. In a separate small bowl, create a slurry by mixing cornstarch with water. Gradually introduce this into the boiling sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens slightly.

Step 5

As the meatballs finish baking, transfer them into a slow cooker. Drizzle the luscious pineapple sauce generously over the meatballs, ensuring they get coated evenly.

Step 6

Cover the slow cooker and let the magic happen on a Low setting. Allow the meatballs to cook through, absorbing all the delightful flavors of the sauce, usually for 4 to 5 hours. You'll know they're ready when they are no longer pink inside, tender, and bursting with flavor.