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Slow Cooker Side Dish Recipes

Slow Cooker Meatball Sliders

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Is there anything better than a Homemade Slow Cooker Meatball Sliders? This is such a fun and delicious recipe that the entire family will love it!

I’ve always enjoyed a good meatball sandwich. I especially like the type that has a sweet and tangy taste. That’s where this recipe came from. I hunted out how to make this sweet/savory taste work well in the crockpot, and that’s where the cranberry sauce comes in. It managed to cut through the acidity of the tomato sauce perfectly! Add the zip of the red pepper flakes, and it gives this lovely and spicy taste.

You know those party meatballs you sometimes get that you would eat with a toothpick. This was where I was headed with these meatballs, but I wanted it to have a little more to it to make a meatball sandwich. So, I make the meatballs a little bigger, enough to fill a slider bun.

These sliders are so cute; they can be really pretty dished onto a tray with toothpicks to hold the top together. They are perfect for parties, game day get-togethers – what’s best is they can be kept warm in the crockpot until your guest wants to put one together!

If you are looking for even more Slow Cooker Recipes, some of my favorites are SLOW COOKER-GINGER LEMON HOT TODDIES, SLOW COOKER-CHINESE ORANGE CHICKEN, SLOW COOKER-ROCKY ROAD FUDGE and AMAZING RECIPE-SLOW COOKER BREAD.

Ingredients Needed For Slow Cooker Meatball Sliders

  • Cranberry Sauce (Whole Berry)
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Onion Powder
  • Creole Seasoning
  • Ground Beef or Venison
  • Bread Crumbs
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Egg
  • Dry Onion & Mushroom Soup Mix
  • Hawaiian Bread Slider Rolls
  • Arugula
  • Provolone Cheese

How To Make Slow Cooker Meatball Sliders

Mix the Tomato Sauce, Cranberry Sauce, Red Pepper Flakes, Onion Powder, and Creole Seasoning in the crockpot. Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 Hours.


Mix the ground meat, bread crumbs, Italian Seasoning, egg, soup mix, and shape into 2” Meatballs.

Layer on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate while the sauce cooks.

When the sauce has finished its initial cooking stage, take the meatballs out and cook in a tbsp of cooking oil to brown.

Then add to the crockpot in the sauce, make sure they’re all coated in the sauce. Cook for another 2 hours on Low, 1 hour on high. Serve on the slider rolls with provolone cheese and arugula.

Can I Use Frozen Meatballs In This Recipe?

Yes, you can either toss them in frozen or thaw them first. Neither option will increase your cooking time in the crockpot.

So, add them to the freezer or thaw them. The cooking time will remain the same. You can not add raw meatballs to the crockpot, as they will not cook up correctly and end up breaking apart.

How long does it take to warm up frozen meatballs in a crockpot?

IF you want to cook frozen meatballs into the crockpot, place them into, and add 2 to 3 hours on high or 4 hours on slow.

Either way the meatballs will be perfectly cooked in your crockpot.

Some Other Great & Easy Slow Cooker Recipes-

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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Meatball Sliders

I’ve always enjoyed a good meatball sandwich. I especially like the type that has a sweet and tangy taste. That’s where this recipe came from. I hunted out how to make this sweet/savory taste work well in the crockpot, and that’s where the cranberry sauce comes in. It managed to cut through the acidity of the tomato sauce perfectly! Add the zip of the red pepper flakes, and it gives this delightful and spicy taste.
Prep Time2 hrs 20 mins
Cook Time5 hrs
8 hrs 20 mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizer, crock pot, meatball, sliders, slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 Can Cranberry Sauce whole berry
  • 1-1/2 Cups Tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 Tsp. Creole Seasoning
  • 2 lb Ground Meat Beef or Venison
  • 3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 Package Dry Onion and Mushroom soup mix
  • Hawaiian Slider Bread Rolls
  • Arugula Leaves
  • Provolone Cheese Slices

Instructions

  • Mix the Tomato Sauce, Cranberry Sauce, Red Pepper Flakes, Onion Powder, and Creole Seasoning in the crockpot.
  • Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 Hours.
  • Mix the ground meat, bread crumbs, Italian Seasoning, egg, soup mix, and shape into 2” Meatballs. Layer on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate while the sauce cooks.
  • When the sauce has finished its initial cooking stage, take the meatballs out and cook in a tbsp of cooking oil to brown. Then add to the crockpot in the sauce, make sure they’re all coated in the sauce.
  • Cook for another 2 hours on Low, 1 hour on high.
  • Serve on the slider rolls with provolone cheese and arugula.
  • Plate, serve, and enjoy!