These Christmas Veal Meatballs are juicy and packed with holiday flavours like cranberries, chestnuts, nutmeg, and rosemary. Combined with a luscious cranberry sauce, this is a perfect festive main dish or a party appetizer.
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Hello everyone! Happy Monday!
Can you believe it’s already mid of November? How come, right? The holiday game is getting strong indeed. If you haven’t started the holiday season yet, I hope you are joining me soon.
Today I am exited to present you these Christmas Veal Meatballs. Certainly, you can enjoy this recipe all year round, but they does look and taste festive. They are also utterly juicy and soft and a breeze to make. I prefer to use cornmeal in place of bread or bread crumbs because meatballs turn with a tender and light texture. Also, it’s important not to overmix ground meat as it can result in dense meatball. That’s why always mix the wet ingredients (like eggs) with spices and herbs first, and then quickly combine it with the ground meat.
Christmas Veal Meatball
And the flavours? The flavour profile is strong here, too! Cranberries, prosciutto, chestnuts, nutmeg, and rosemary to mention a few. I used three kind of cranberries in fact. Dried cranberries for the added sweetness. Then cranberry sauce for that luscious glaze (Jelly-type would work the best.) And lastly fresh cranberries for the added freshness. I think all these flavours and textures are wonderfully married in these Christmas Veal Meatballs.
I hope you like these meatballs, and you will give this recipe a try, soon. If you make it, please let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share you photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.
More Christmas Recipes
And if you are looking for other festive min course recipes, I have them, too!
Christmas Chestnut Sausage Soup
Cheers!
Christmas Veal Meatballs
Course: Christmas35
meatballs10
minutes30
minutesThese Christmas Veal Meatballs are juicy and packed with holiday flavours like cranberries, chestnuts, nutmeg, and rosemary. Combined with a luscious cranberry sauce, make this a perfect festive main dish or a party appetizer.
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
650 gr. lean ground veal
2 eggs
150 gr. cooked chestnuts, crumbled
3-4 slices of prosciutto (50-60 gr.), thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries, finely minced
1-2 tbsp. instant polenta (cornmeal)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 whole nutmeg, grated
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. chipotle powder (to taste)
1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
2-3 tbsp. olive / vegetable oil, for frying
- Sauce:
about 1 and 1/3 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce
about 2/3 cup of water
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
a pinch of salt
Directions
- In a small bowl combine the eggs with herbs and spices, and whisk until well combined. Stir in the prosciutto, chestnuts, and dried cranberries.
- Place the ground veal in a large bowl along. Add the egg mixture and mix with your hands or wooden spoon until evenly blender. Do not overmix as the meatballs could turn dense – about 30 seconds should be enough.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs (~ 1 inch or as desired). Depending on the size, you should get about 35 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a pan cook the meatballs over high medium heat, in few batches, moving them, until nicely seared from all sides, for about 5 minutes per batch. Remove and transfer to a plate and cook the remaining.
- For the sauce, in a medium-large pot combine the cranberry sauce with water and a pinch of salt. Cook over high medium heat, stirring, 2-3 minutes to thicken it up. Then add the meatballs and simmer for about 10 minutes, gently stirring the meatballs occasionally, to glaze them with the sauce evenly.
- Add the fresh cranberries, cook for another 2 minutes, and off heat.
- Serve with side such as mashed potatoes for a main course or as an appetizer (cocktail meatballs). Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
You’ve packed a ton of flavor in these meatballs! These must have amazing flavor. Thanks!
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Pumpkin Pancakes
Thank you John!
Ohhh chestnuts in meatballs, thats something new to me. You always surprise me with your wonderful creations
Thank you Raymund!
I’m so intrigued by all of the flavors and textures in these festive meatballs, Ben! They would make a wonderful appetizer as well as a main course!
Thank you Marissa!
Wow – 3 different types of cranberries! That’s crazy, Ben! I do love meatballs, but I rarely think about making them as a main course by themselves (or as an appetizer). I usually end up simmering them in pasta sauce over spaghetti. I need to make a batch of these ASAP! All of the holiday flavors in there are really calling my name!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Mushroom Gravy
Thanks David. Yup, I love cranberries :)
What a great protein for Christmas! My family gets tired of turkey for each holiday, so these would be a welcome reprieve!
Thank you Michelle!
I love all the flavors you packed in these juicy veal meatballs! I also notice that Daisy seems to be quite approving of this recipe! :-). And I’m with you ~ how the heck is November going so quickly?
Thank you Tasia!
We don’t get veal where I live but when we are in Europe I will look for some to try this.
Any lean meat will do indeed!
Love these tender little bombs of juicy flavor! We’re such meatball fans and I have not made veal ones yet. These are perfect inspo!
Kim | Give it Some Thyme recently posted…What to Serve with Chicken Pot Pie (17 Easy Side Dishes)
Thank you Kim!
What an interesting idea to use cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs. I’m going to have to try that in my next batch of meatballs! I love that you used veal – it’s something we don’t usually cook with, but this I imagine is a fantastic way to enjoy it! Thanks Ben!
Thank you Laura!
We LOVE meatballs and these look so juicy, tender and jam packed with flavours!
angiesrecipes recently posted…Shingled Butternut Squash with Harissa and Pistachio Dukkah
Thank you!
These sound amazing!! I have never actually cooked with veal before but I do enjoy eating it. These would be so tender and flavorful! Way to get the holidays started!
Thanks Katherine!