by Marie Anne

Created on: August 17, 2009

Quick and Easy Meals Semi-Homemade From Frozen Meatballs
Have Frozen Meatballs? You Have a Meal.

Frozen meatballs are a great start for many quick and easy meals and appetizers. The meatballs that you find in your grocer's frozen food section may not be quite like homemade, but not everyone has time to cook from scratch. If you have the time, go ahead and make your own meatballs and freeze them yourself you'll still be one step ahead when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.

With just a few staples from your pantry along with meatballs from your freezer, you have the makings of several semi-homemade meals to tempt the pickiest of eaters. If using mini meatballs, modify these ideas to wow your guests with appetizers at the next holiday party. Items I always keep on hand are:

Cream of Mushroom Soup
Spaghetti Sauce
Alfredo Sauce
Canned Pineapple
Spaghetti, noodles, rice

Frozen meatballs come pre-cooked, but you will need to warm them first before using them in your meal. I usually take the meatballs directly from the freezer and put in a glass bowl and microwave on medium for 4-5 minutes until thawed, stir gently with a large spoon or spatula and then heat again for 4-5 minutes on medium/high until warmed through. At that point they are ready to be added to whatever dish you're preparing.

These ideas are my own, meals that I've cooked many times for family and friends, and all taste even better when warmed for lunch the next day. Let's get to the meat of the matter my favorite semi-homemade meals using frozen meatballs.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs My favorite
I usually use pineapple tidbits for this dish, but have also used the larger chunk or sliced pineapple and simply cut into smaller pieces. Thaw/heat frozen meatballs as stated above. Drain canned pineapple and reserve; empty the pineapple juice into a large skillet (I like to use my electric frying pan for this) set on medium/low heat. Add a bit of cornstarch to thicken, a tablespoon or so of vinegar, cup of brown sugar. I never use exact measurements when making this, I just taste as I go. Add chopped onion and sliced bell pepper and simmer until slightly thickened. If you'd like, use a combination of red, yellow, orange and green peppers to spice up the color a bit. Add reserved pineapple and warmed meatballs and cook on medium/low for several minutes, allowing flavors to meld. Serve over warm, fluffy rice.

Mock Swedish Meatballs
Thaw/heat meatballs as stated above. While meatballs are warming,

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