Grandma's Applesauce Meatballs

This is one of my family's favorite 'comfort' foods - by all six generations. Don't let the applesauce scare you off; you can't taste it, but it keeps the meatballs tender and moist. Add mushrooms and/or pearl onions for an even heartier 'comfort' meal! Serve over hot buttered noodles or rice. We like a salad and garlic bread, or a plate of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 430 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• ⅔ cup applesauce
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (Optional)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste
• 1 ½ cups herb seasoned croutons

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Step 2

Whisk the egg and milk together in a large bowl, and stir in the croutons. Allow the croutons to soak up the milk mixture for about 2 minutes. Lightly stir in the applesauce, onion, garlic, Cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper, and mix in ground beef with your hands until thoroughly combined. Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place into the prepared baking dish. In the same bowl, whisk together the cream of celery soup with evaporated milk. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.

Step 3

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and thickened and the meat is no longer pink in the middle, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese 15 minutes before end of baking, and bake until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).