Grandma's Applesauce Meatballs
Description
Adding a little applesauce to a savory meatball dish with gravy is one way to keep the meatballs moist and tasty. You won't taste the applesauce.
Ingredients
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nonstick cooking spray
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1/2 cup milk
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1 egg
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1 1/2 cups herb seasoned croutons
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2/3 cup applesauce
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1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
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3 tablespoons chopped onion
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3 tablespoons minced garlic, or to taste
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salt and black pepper to taste
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1 1/2 pounds ground beef
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1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
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1/2 cup evaporated milk
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1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2
Whisk together milk and egg in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in croutons and let sit to allow croutons to soak up milk mixture, about 2 minutes. Lightly stir in applesauce, Cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix in ground beef with your hands until thoroughly combined. Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and place into the prepared baking dish.
3
Add condensed soup and evaporated milk to the same bowl; whisk until well combined. Pour sauce over meatballs in the baking dish.
4
Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until sauce is bubbling and thickened and meat is no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese 15 minutes before the end of baking and bake until 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).