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Buffalo Meatball Pumpkins Recipe

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Buffalo Meatball Pumpkins are a fun and festive appetizer perfect for gatherings and seasonal celebrations. Tender meatballs are slow-cooked and coated in a flavorful buffalo sauce blended with pumpkin puree and ranch dressing, then cleverly decorated with pretzel sticks and fresh parsley to resemble mini pumpkins. This creative twist on classic buffalo meatballs combines spicy, creamy, and autumnal flavors in a bite-sized treat.

Ingredients

Meatballs and Garnish

  • 2.5 pounds Daily Chef – Casa di Bertacchi meatballs (about 75 meatballs)
  • 38 pretzel rods (or other pretzel sticks)
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley (or cilantro)

Buffalo Sauce

  • ⅓ cup butter
  • ½ cup buffalo sauce
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp ranch dressing

Instructions

  1. Slow Cook Meatballs: Place the meatballs into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 3 to 3 ½ hours until thoroughly heated and tender.
  2. Prepare Buffalo Sauce: In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in buffalo sauce, pumpkin puree, and ranch dressing until well combined and smooth.
  3. Coat Meatballs with Sauce: Pour the prepared buffalo sauce over the cooked meatballs in the slow cooker. Stir gently to coat each meatball evenly with the sauce.
  4. Decorate Meatballs: Arrange the meatballs on a serving tray. Break the ends off the pretzel rods to a suitable length. If necessary, cut a small hole at the top of each meatball so the pretzel rods can be inserted easily.
  5. Create Pumpkin Look: Insert one pretzel rod into the top center of each meatball to mimic the pumpkin stem.
  6. Finish with Greens: Place a green parsley leaf or cilantro leaf next to the pretzel stick on each meatball to resemble pumpkin leaves, completing the pumpkin look.

Notes

  • Use fresh parsley or cilantro for the green ‘leaves’ to maintain freshness and color.
  • Cutting a small hole in the meatballs first helps prevent them from breaking when inserting pretzel sticks.
  • You can prepare the buffalo sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it; just reheat before coating the meatballs.
  • For a milder flavor, adjust the amount of buffalo sauce used in the recipe.
  • If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can bake the meatballs at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until heated through before coating with sauce.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/buffalo-meatball-pumpkins-recipe/