Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs

Beautifully presented, Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs are simply made with the delicious combination of cranberry and orange, Dorothy Lynch for some pizzaz, and some brown sugar to sweeten the deal.

 

Quite possibly the perfect holiday appetizer. Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs cooked to serve in a skillet or your slow cooker. Simple ingredients, beautiful presentation.

The holidays are upon us. It’s time to break out your favorite appetizers, and get ready to wow your friends and family at all of those parties and get-togethers! 

Of course, you don’t need a party to need a reason to enjoy these cranberry meatballs. We last devoured them on a Saturday, watching football.

 

This post is sponsored by Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment, but my opinions and love of Nebraska’s own Dorothy Lynch are all my own.  

SOME OF THE ITEMS BELOW CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS; I AM A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES. I AM ALSO AN AFFILIATE FOR OTHER BRANDS. HOWEVER, I ONLY PROMOTE THINGS THAT I LOVE AND THINK YOU WILL LOVE, TOO.  FOR MY ENTIRE DISCLOSURE POLICY PLEASE CLICK HERE.

 

Dorothy Lynch adds zest and flavor to so many recipes. It’s not just for salads, my friends. Although…it’s always our go-to for those, too! 

What is Dorothy Lynch?

“The” Dorothy Lynch was a woman, who created this dressing in the 1940s, and served it at a restaurant she and her husband ran at the local Legion Club in St. Paul, Nebraska. The dressing became so popular, that patrons would bring in their own bottles to have Dorothy fill them to eat at home.  

Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment can best be described as a sweet and spicy dressing that has a thick and creamy texture. Because of its color, many will assume it’s just another French dressing, but that simply isn’t true at all. In fact, it tastes nothing like it. French dressing is oil based, Dorothy Lynch is tomato based. The best word to describe its taste: Homemade.  

 

How Can I use Dorothy Lynch, except for on a salad?

Don’t get me wrong, Dorothy Lynch is amazing on a salad. In fact, most of us Nebraskans came to know it that way.  

But Dorothy Lynch is so much more than salad dressing. It’s delicious as a condiment, dipping fries, pizza and best of all, fried chicken in it is crazy good!

You can even substitute Dorothy Lynch Light & Lean for a lower-calorie option with the same endless flavorbilities.

 

But when you get creative and start adding it to recipes? That’s when things get really tasty! I have used it in all sorts of ways this past year. Check them out!

 

 

A much better version of a Sloppy Joe, the Sloppy Dorothy has proven to be a fan favorite. Even my husband who wouldn’t touch a Sloppy Joe with a ten foot pole asked for seconds. 

 

 

Last year for the Super Bowl, we noshed on this pull-apart bread. Do you know how grilled cheese and tomato soup go together perfectly? It’s like that.

 

 

Over the summer, I made barbeque sauce out of Dorothy Lynch. You may think making a condiment from a condiment sounds weird, but trust me, this will be your new favorite BBQ sauce.

 

 

Do you have an air fryer? I made homemade taco bowls in my air fryer and filled them up with taco salad, but not just any ordinary taco salad. I used the Dorothy Lynch in not only the taco seasoning for the ground beef, but I made a taco sauce from it, too!

 

 

Tailgating season kicked off to a yummy start when I made pulled pork in my slow cooker. I loaded it on buns then topped them with a homemade coleslaw made with Dorothy Lynch.

 

 

I wrapped up tailgating season with these homemade pizza pockets, prepared in the air fryer, too! Puff pastry pockets, full of cheese, pepperoni and a pizza sauce made with the tangy tomato flavor of Dorothy Lynch.

 

 

 

See? It’s hardly just a salad dressing. There are so many delicious ways to eat Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing & Condiment. How will you try it?

 

For the holidays, I think these cranberry meatballs would be a terrific place to start!

 

Ingredients in Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs:

• frozen beef meatballs, or homemade meatballs
• cranberry sauce
• brown sugar
• 2 clementines, zested and juiced
• Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing & Condiment

 

Yep! That’s it. Five ingredients and you can prepare Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs on your stovetop or in your slow cooker. I did mine in my cast iron skillet on the stovetop and served them right from the skillet. They stayed warm for quite a while in it. If you are concerned about them maintaining their temperature, use a crockpot, or transfer them to the slow cooker to stay warm.

 

Simply mix together cranberry sauce, Dorothy Lynch, clementine juice and zest in a bowl.

I make my Mom’s Cranberry Sauce. It’s flavored with orange and pineapple, and worked beautifully for this recipe. If you are in a pinch, buy the kind at the store, but get the real stuff, not the weird canned kind. 

 

Place the frozen meatballs in your skillet or your slow cooker and cover them with sauce. Place a lid on it. Cook until meatballs are cooked through. 

 

I garnished them with fresh parsley. It’s not necessary, but it looks festive, don’t you think?

 

I placed a trivet on the counter and we at them right out of the hot skillet with decorative toothpicks. Fewer dishes make mama happy. If you have little ones enjoying them, you might consider placing them in a bowl. We don’t need anyone getting burned!

 

^Love it? Pin it!^

Make sure you can find Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatball recipe when you need it. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board before you go!

WHERE DO I GET MY OWN BOTTLE OF DOROTHY LYNCH?

Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment can be purchased at most grocery stores in Nebraska and can be found at select grocery stores west of the Mississippi, including Walmart and Hy-Vee. If you can’t find it there, you can always get your pantry stocked with Dorothy Lynch by shopping Buy Nebraska or Amazon!

Make sure to follow along with Dorothy Lynch on their website, and their Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter account for delicious recipes all year long.

 

Let’s make Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs!