These meatballs are a classic family recipe. Growing up, whenever my mom asked me what I wanted for dinner, without a pause, I would reply “meatballs!” I don’t know that there’s anything particularly Hawaiian about them, other than the fact that pineapple is included in the recipe, but they definitely make an excellent dinner. This is a dependable recipe that’s always good no matter what.
Hawaiian meatballs have become a regular at college as well, I frequently make them when we have friends over for dinner. One recipe can easily feed five or six people and I’ve never met someone who didn’t like them. My friend Michael even got upset when we forgot to invite him over one night when we had meatballs for dinner.
Another reason I like this recipe is that it’s easily adaptable to several substitutions, which is especially nice when you’re in college and you occasionally find yourself without milk or oatmeal and no time to run to the store due to the ridiculous amounts of homework you have to do. You can serve these meatballs over rice or pasta. The vegetables can be switched up too–any color of bell pepper and I even made them with carrots once. Water can easily substitute the milk. And once, in a moment of desperation, I used ground up Wheat Thins in place of the oatmeal. It worked like a charm.
Hawaiian Meatballs
Serves 5-6.
Meatballs
1½ pounds ground turkey or beef
2/3 cup oatmeal or cracker crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ginger
¼ cup milk
oil
Sauce
2 Tbsp cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple, drain and reserve juice
1/3 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
½ cup chopped green (or any color) pepper
In a large bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients (meat through milk) with your hands. Shape into balls, approximately a tablespoonful for each meatball. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of a large skillet. On medium high heat, brown and cook the meatballs through. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and keep them warm while you make the sauce. Pour out any fat from the skillet.
To make the sauce, mix together cornstarch and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce until it’s smooth (whisking speeds this along). Pour the sauce into the skillet (still on medium heat) and stir it constantly until it thickens and boils. Then boil and stir for about one minute. Add the meatballs, pineapple, and peppers and stir together until heated through.
Much Ado About Pie 