Bourbon Meatballs

It's official: the 2010 football season is over.  We have our Sundays back, yippee! (And Mondays... some Thursdays... occasional Fridays).  At the beginning of the season, the Cowboys had a chance to be the first ever NFL team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium.  Then they blew it just as badly as the Longhorns did.  Without the Cowboys, I had no idea who to choose to cheer for in the Super Bowl.  Fort Worth was hosting the Steelers and was decked out in red for the week, but Greenbay was the NFC team... I went with the Packers since they were the NFC team playing.  (Yes, I also just learned what the NFC and AFC were this season thanks to my football-crazed boyfriend).  I threw on my one and only green shirt (even though it is a St. Patty's Day shirt) and headed over to our friends, Clay and Michelle's, house with bourbon meatballs (and a few other items, recipes to come soon) in tow.  Michelle is the one with the DIY blog: click her to check out her recent projects!

It wouldn't be a football game without my mom's bourbon meatballs.  I remember the first time I had them.  I was home for Christmas Break, and I went to my friend, Mason's annual Christmas party.  Let's just say that I had a few whiskey and Dr. Peppers at the party, and I wasn't feeling so hot the next morning.  I woke up on Christmas Eve Day to the smell of bourbon and BBQ wafting through my parents' house.  At the time, I thought I was just dreaming the bourbon/whiskey smell due to the night before, but I stumbled downstairs to find bourbon meatballs on the stove.  The bourbon mostly cooks out, of course, but I could still smell it, and it was surprisingly mouth-watering.  Ever since that morning, I have always tried to have the meatballs at a few football game watching parties each year.   

Bourbon Meatballs
Carolyn Poirot

Bourbon Meatballs

• 1 package (appr. 2 lbs) of meatballs
• 1  bottle of Bar-B-Q sauce
• 1 c bourbon
• 1/2 c honey
• 1/2 c mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire

1. Whisk bbq sauce, bourbon, honey, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a pot on the stove
2. Bring mixture to a boil
3. Turn burner to low
4. Add meatballs
5. Cook at least 30 mins (and up to 6 hours), stirring every now and then to cover the meatballs with sauce

*There won't be enough sauce to cover the meatballs over the top.  This is why you have to stir them and coat them occasionally.

*It is really messy to try to measure out the BBQ sauce so I just dump in the whole bottle.

*Do NOT think: "Oh, I only have 1/2 a cup of bourbon left, I should just use the rest of this in the meatballs."  They will NOT taste good!  I did this once and it was like taking a shot of bourbon with a little bit of meat aftertaste.  Stick with the measurements on this part.

My football crockpot