Amish Ham Meatballs

paula

10 years ago

If you like the outer glazed area of ham loaf, you will love Amish-style ham meatballs. The ham meatballs have more glazed goodness plus the flexibility of being meatballs. While they can still be served as part of the main course, they also can be served as hors d’oeuvres.

Inspired by several recipes in some of my cookbooks from Amish/Mennonite communities, I made a couple slight adaptations to my ham loaf recipe to make my version of Amish-style ham meatballs. I like to use a slow cooker to finish and serve meatballs whether at home or at a gathering, so I cook the meatballs and the sauce separately and combine them in the slow cooker to slowly simmer together. You can just bake the ham meatballs in a baking dish/pan pour the sauce over them as they cook.

Recipe: Amish Ham Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground ham
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. rolled oatmeal, ground or left as is
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. mustard, ground
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. apple juice
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. mustard, ground
1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
1/8 tsp. cloves, ground
2 Tbsp. Wondra flour*

Instructions:

Combine ham, pork, oatmeal, eggs, mustard, and salt.
Form mixture into balls.
Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (easier clean up).
Bake at 350 degrees until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (depending on size of balls).
Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, apple juice, vinegar, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and flour in a pan and place over medium-high heat.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, stir frequently.
Simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened.
Combine cooked meatballs and thickened sauce in a slow cooker. Keep slowly cooking for at least one hour. The longer they are combined; the better the meatballs will taste.

Notes:

* Adding flour will thicken the sauce faster and you will not need to reduce it as much. It will cut down on the cooking time. It is optional, but does normally make a thicker sauce. Omit flour if you want more of a glaze.