Easy Baked Sweet And Sour Meatballs - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons ponzu sauce, lime citrus dressing and sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 cup water
For the Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce, lime citrus dressing and sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup fresh soft breadcrumbs, measure well packed (add extra if your meatballs need more binding to hold their shape)
Optional Ingredients
1 cup pineapple chunk (optional)
toasted sesame seeds (for decoration or presentation, optional, optional) (optional) or finely sliced green onion (for decoration or presentation) (optional)

Preparation

For the sauce - mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and stir over a medium heat for approximately one minute.
Add the cornstarch mixture and stir to combine.
Continue stirring until the mixture becomes thick and glossy- about 5 minutes. Set the sauce aside to cool.
For the meatballs - Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F (175\u00b0C ).
Use a food processor to make fresh breadcrumbs ( I used 4 slices of bread with crusts removed).
Add all meatball ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and thoroughly mix together.
Roll into small meatballs with your hands, using about a tablespoon of mix at a time.
Place meatballs in a 9 x 13 baking dish and, if using as a main meal, add the optional cup of pineapple chunks if desired - Just spread them evenly around the meatballs.
Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the meatballs , ensuring that they are all covered.
Bake for 30 minutes and stir. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes and stir again. Check for doneness and bake longer if needed.
Serve over rice or noodles for a main meal. Lightly sprinkle each meal with toasted sesame seeds or finely sliced green onions for presentation if desired.
Can be served as cocktail meatballs in a single large bowl with cocktail forks or toothpicks.