Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, this is what the unbaked version of these Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells looks like. You can probably guess why there isn't a photo of these shells after they came out of the oven. I have two excuses or rather I should say explanations. The first would be due to the chaos of getting everything on the Christmas dinner on the table while everything was still warm. My long galley kitchen doesn't really lend itself to having multiple hands helping. The second reason for the absence of a finished photo can be blamed on our very ate in the afternoon dinner. After the appetizer course and opening of gifts, the only light in the kitchen came from candles burning, recessed lighting, and the crystal chandelier. Not exactly the best lighting for capturing the beauty of food (at least not best for me). But like the Hazelnut Torte, this was another recipe I wanted you to have sooner rather than later. In other words I was simply too excited to wait to share it until next year! And just in case you were planning to have friends and family over for dinner over the New Year's holiday, these Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells would be so perfect.

If you think these stuffed shells look good unbaked, wait until you see them baked. Better yet, wait until you taste them!

There are so many things I love about these Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells I don't where to begin. They can be made early in the day or even the night before. You can used a good quality jarred marinara sauce (I am partial to Rao's) instead of making a homemade one. You can feed a crowd especially when paired with a salad and good bottle of wine. They are super easy and relatively inexpensive to make. Last but not least, they are divine!

Cream cheese, whole milk ricotta, and fresh herbs are what make make this savory filling so mouthwatering luscious. In addition to the flat leaf parsley, fresh thyme and/or oregano, some green onions (or chives), and finely chopped garlic bring the filling even more incredible flavor. I have made them using only thyme, only oregano, and a combination of both.

Fill the shells using a pastry bag rather than a spoon. If you don't have a pastry bag, use a large plastic ziplock bag and snip off a corner. 

Before placing the stuffed shells in a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of the marinara on the bottom. Once all the shells are in the baking pan (filled side up), place dollops of the remaining marinara sauce over the top. At this point they are ready to go into your 350 degree (F) preheated oven or can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.

Baking time for the Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells ranges from 30-35 minutes. If baking them after they had been chilled, remove from the refrigerator at least 10-15 minutes before baking. The dish is ready when the filling is completely heated through. There is no better way to test for this than to stick your finger into one of the shells. 

If you are looking for deeply flavorful, rich entree, make these Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells would made a perfect Sunday, holiday, or special occasion dinner. They are destined to become one of your most favorite baked pasta dishes.

Recipe
Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Serves at least 6-8, more like 8-10

Ingredients
16 ounces (552g) cream cheese, softened
8 ounces (228g) whole milk ricotta
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks

10 ounces (283g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of its' liquid
3 Tablespoons finely chopped green onion or chives
3 Tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs (Choose from thyme, oregano or a combination of both)
3/4 cup (100g) fresh bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound (454g) jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente
4 cups (32 ounces-907g) homemade or good quality jarred marinara sauce (See note below)
Optional: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, for serving

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and ricotta. Beat with a mixer until smooth and well blended.
2. Add the eggs and beat until just incorporated.
3. Using a spatula, mix in the spinach, garlic, green onion (or chives), parsley, fresh herbs, bread crumbs, kosher salt and black pepper until completely blended.
4. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish.
5. Using a pastry bag, pipe approximately 2 Tablespoons of the cheese mixture into the al dente cooked shells. Place the filled shells, filled side up, in the baking dish. Note: You may end up with a few extra, unfilled shells.
6. Top the stuffed shells with the remaining marinara sauce.
7. At this point you can cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the shells for several hours or overnight.
8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Take the baking dish out of the refrigerator (for at least 15 minutes) while the oven is heating. 
9. Uncover and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling in the shells is cooked through.
10. Remove the baking dish from oven. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

Notes: (1) I generally use a jarred marinara sauce when making these shells. My go-to favorites is made by Rao's. My first choice is their Tomato Basil Sauce, my second choice is their Homemade Marinara Sauce. (2) Leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave. (3) I put several pieces of a hearty white bread in the food processor to make the bread crumbs. Boxed store-bought bread crumbs don't work as well. (4) You can top the Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to send it even more over the top.

Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola)

"The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety and satisfaction. A person cooking is a person giving. Even the simplest food is a gift." (Laurie Colwin). After last year's Christmas dinner, I decided ours needed a change. Considering how much we all love Italian food, our holiday dinner would be, what else, but Italian themed. A significant departure from our traditional fare was either going to be an epic win or epic fail. As it turned out, it may have been one of the best holiday meals ever. From the cheese board filled with an array of Italian meats and cheeses, to the Pate made with Vin Santo, to the Baked Ricotta with Crostini, to the Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells, to the Tortellini in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, to the Florentine-Style Peas with Guanciale, to the Fennel and Garlic rubbed Pork Tenderloin, to the Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta, to this Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola), it was a feast for the eyes and senses. And this menu was a slightly scaled back version of what I had initially planned. 

Along with the new Christmas menu came some made for the first time recipes. A potential risk considering I have a family not shy about voicing their opinions about wine and food. As luck would have it, these risks turned out to be ones having great rewards and garnering even greater reviews than anticipated. But there was significant downside to making these new recipes. Trying to photograph them turned out to be the biggest challenge of the day. So forgive me now for these less than picture perfect photos of the Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola). I may come to regret posting these photos, but I am unable to contain my excitement over this torte. So I somewhat reluctantly decided to put my amateur photographer's ego aside because sharing the recipe now rather than later was more important. In all honesty, this torte may be the most decadent, elegant, richest, swoonworthiest, most delicious one I have ever tasted.  

The recipe for the flourless Hazelnut Torte was recently published in Olive Magazine, a British food magazine featuring recipes from around the globe. If you have ever made recipes from European cookbooks and/or food magazines you know the ingredient measurements are in grams and/or milliliters, not in cups or ounces; baking temperatures are in Centigrade not Fahrenheit; and, the sizes of baking pans are ones not typically used here in the states. In spite of all these things, none are insurmountable obstacles. Because sometimes a recipe comes along justifying the purchases of a metric scale and/or an eight inch springform or ring. And this would be the one of them. Everyone should have, no everyone needs this Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola) in their lives. A sliver of this torte will send your palate to places it has never been before. It is one worthy of belonging in the exclusive 'last meal' worthy dessert category. In other words, you haven't lived your BEST life until you have had a piece of this Hazelnut Torte.

While this is essentially considered a flourless torte, roasted and pralinized hazelnuts processed until finely ground give the torte it's texture and incredible flavor. Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur from the Piedmont region of northern Italy, was listed as an optional ingredient in the recipe. I would go so far as to say it's an essential one. The combination of the flavors from the hazelnuts and hazelnut liqueur creates a deeply flavorful torte. However, if there were one option to this recipe it would be serving this truffle like torte with freshly whipped cream or a scoop of a good quality vanilla ice cream rather than serving it plain. Although there is nothing plain about a sliver of this torte.

Relatively simple to make, it makes for the most elegant end to a dinner party, a special birthday celebration, and/or any holiday dinner. 

More than likely this torte, along with all of the other Italian inspired recipes we savored on Christmas Day, could become the 'new' holiday tradition here. Or at least that's what I hope it will become. Because in all honesty, this Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola) couldn't have been a more perfect finish to an epic Christmas dinner. 

Recipe
Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola)  - a very slight adaptation of a recipe from Olive Magazine
Serves 12-14

Ingredients
Torte
7 ounces (250 g) hazelnuts
8 3/4 ounces (250 g) caster sugar, divided
7 ounces (200 g) dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
14 Tablespoons (200 g) unsalted butter
6 large eggs, separated
2 Tablespoons Frangelico
Generous pinch of kosher salt

Ganache
8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Cocoa powder for dusting the finished torte

Optional: Freshly whipped cream or good quality vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer hazelnuts to a flour sack or heavy paper towel to rub as many of the skins off as possible. Don't worry if you don't get them all off. Let cool.slightly.
2. In a medium sized frying pan, heat 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) of the caster sugar until melted (stirring frequently). Add the toasted hazelnuts and stir to coat the nuts with the caramelized sugar. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until the hazelnuts are completely coated with the sugar. Remove from heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely. Note: The nuts may initially cluster together but will separate again during the five minute cooking process.
3. When the nuts have cooled, transfer to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Remove 3 Tablespoons of the coarsely chopped hazelnuts to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Continue processing the remaining hazelnuts until finely ground.
5. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees (F). 
6. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the finely ground hazelnuts. Set aside to cool for approximately 15 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and remaining 5 1/4 ounces of caster sugar and pinch of kosher salt until pale and doubled in size (approximately 3-5 minutes).
8. Fold in the cooled chocolate and hazelnut mixture. Stir in the Frangelico.
9. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
10. Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate./hazelnut mixture until no streaks of egg whites remain.
11. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased, parchment paper lined 8 inch springform pan and bake for 50-60 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean). Note: I place an 8 inch cake ring inside a 9 inch springform pan using some folded aluminum foil to ensure the ring was stabilized.
12. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the baking pan. then gently remove from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature.

Ganache and assembly
1. Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Warm the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling (tiny bubbles should appear along the edge of the pan).
3. Pour cream over the chocolate and leave for 5-6 minutes without stirring.
4. Whisk cream and chocolate mixture until slightly thickened and shiny, yet having a pourable consistency.
5. Pour over the cooled torte, spreading evenly over the top and allowing it to drip along the sides of the tore. Note: You might not use all of the ganache. Reserve for another use.
6. Sprinkle the cake the with reserved three tablespoons of hazelnut praline and sifted cocoa powder.
7. Serve in slivers and enjoy! Note: Serve with a side of freshly whipped cream or high quality vanilla ice cream.
8. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, if it lasts that long.

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Now that the first wave of the holiday baking is finished and all of the holiday gift boxes have been sent out, my attention has shifted to savory foods. One can live on cookies and confections for only so long. As hard as even I find it to believe, I am getting dangerously close to my holiday sweets consumption limit. This largely may be due to all of the taste-testing done during three non-stop days of baking. Other than taking time for a little bit of sleep, a Saturday morning long run, and going to an event Saturday night, I spent all of my waking hours in the kitchen. My holiday baking list happened to be a little on the over-ambitious side. Because there is no such thing as scaling back for this over-achieving, someone having astrologically cursed perfectionist tendencies, glutton for punishment girl! Do you detect a teeny bit of a whining undertone here? Okay, maybe just an iota. However, I wouldn't push myself to the edge if I wasn't experiencing a relatively high level of satisfaction from it all. And besides, it's the holidays. Aka the homemade love time of year.

If you are having family and/or friends staying over or visiting for the holidays, more than likely you will be making a meal or two. If one of those meals happens to breakfast or brunch, nothing is easier to make and more impressive to serve than a breakfast casserole. Made the night before and baked in the morning, they makes breakfast/brunch seem almost effortless.

Breakfast casseroles fall into two broad categories: Egg-based and Bread-based. This Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is a cinnamon raisin swirl bread based one. If a custard mixture poured over thick slices of the cinnamon swirl raisin bread isn't enough to get your attention, how does the addition of thinly sliced apples and cubes of cream cheese sound?

 Would you be in with a finishing drizzle of warm maple syrup?

One of the keys to making the most epic version of this Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is the quality of the cinnamon-swirl raisin bread. Save the pre-sliced loaves of cinnamon raisin bread for toast For this breakfast casserole, go to your favorite bakery, or to the bakery section of your favorite grocery store, or to any store that sells dense, whole loaves of bread. You want to be able to cut the bread into thick slices.

The custard for the casserole is made with half-and-half, whole milk, confectionary sugar, vanilla, kosher salt, and eight large eggs. 

Some breakfast casseroles call for cutting the bread into cubes. But this one calls for thick (approximately 3/4") slices. You should be able to get 12-14 slices from a one pound loaf of the cinnamon swirl raisin bread. Cut all of the slices in half so you end up with 24-28 pieces of bread.

The peeled and cored apples should be thinly sliced and then tossed into half of a cinnamon sugar mixture. The coating on the apples not only adds flavor, it helps them retain their color. I used Granny Smith apples, but you could also use Honey Crisp apples.

Starting with a lightly buttered 9"x12" (or 9" x 13") casserole dish, place two thirds of the bread slices in two rows. You should be able to slightly over lap the slices. On top of the rows of bread, scatter two-thirds of the sliced apples and one half of the cream cheese cubes are as evenly as possible. Lay the remaining slices of the bread over the apple/cream cheese layer. Then top with the remaining apples and cream cheese cubes. Pour the custard mixture over the casserole, then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish, then press down just enough to help the custard infuse itself into all of the bread slices. Wrap the edges of the foil around the pan and refrigerate overnight. Sit back, relax, and the let magic begin.

Take the casserole dish out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before putting on a baking tray,. Uncover and bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) for 70-80 minutes. The Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is done when the top is golden brown, the sides have puffed up, and a knife inserted in the center comes out 'clean'. Clean in this case means the baked custard is not drippy or liquidy on the knife. 

Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. 

To describe this Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole as insanely scrumptious, drop the mic delicious, or epic doesn't even begin to do it justice. So I will simply say it is destined to be a 'huge hit' with your family and friends. It might even turn out to be one of your mosts requested breakfast casseroles!

A generous drizzle of maple syrup over wedges of the casserole is the most perfect finishing touch. The top of the casserole is a little bit crunchy, the inside layers are rich and custardy, the flavor of cinnamon compliments the tart apples and cream cheese pillows, and the sweetness of the maple syrup makes this the most heavenly of all breakfast casseroles.

What better way to cap off the holidays or to indulge in your overnight guests than with this slightly rich, little bit rustic Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole. To round out your breakfast or brunch menu serve the casserole with some crispy bacon or sausages, freshly brewed coffee, and maybe some orange juice or fresh fruit. The casserole reheats beautifully in the microwave. Which means if you have any leftovers, you don't have to even think about what to serve for dinner. Enjoy!

Recipe
Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Serves 8-10

Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Casserole
16-18 ounce loaf of a good quality cinnamon-swirl bread, thickly sliced (Cut slices in half)
8 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons confectionary sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large apples (I used Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Cut slices in half)
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into half-inch cubes
1-2 Tablespoons of butter
Real Maple Syrup

Directions
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Divide in half. 

Casserole
1. In a medium sized bowl, add in the sliced apples. Pour half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples. Toss to coat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk the eggs until loosely mixed. Add in the confectionary sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, half and half, and milk. Whisk until well combined.
3. Generously butter a 9"x13" (or equivalent) ovenproof casserole dish.
4. Using approximately 2/3 of the bread slices, layer them in two rows, overlapping the slices in each row slightly.
5. Sprinkle 2/3 of the apples over the bread. Note: Do not pour any of the liquid from the apples into the casserole.
6. Sprinkle half of the cream cheese cubes over the apples.
7. Layer the remaining bread slices on top.
8. Sprinkle remaining sliced apples and cream cheese cubes over the bread.
9. Pour the egg/milk (custard) mixture over the casserole.
10. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top.
11. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the baking dish. Press the foil down into the casserole. Wrap the edges of the foil over the baking dish. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Take the casserole out of the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before you preheat the oven.
13. Place the casserole dish on a large baking sheet. Remove the foil. 
14. Bake for 70-80 minutes or until casserole is puffed and medium golden brown. Note: Begin checking for doneness at 60 minutes.
15. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
16. Serve with slightly warm maple syrup. Enjoy!

Note: (1) The Cinnamon Swirl Bread from Panera Bread was used to make this Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole. (2) Instead of using Granny Smith apples could use Honey Crisp. (3) The casserole reheats beautifully in the microwave. Cut into squares before placing in the microwave.

Christmas in bloom at the Wilder Park Conservatory in Elmhurst, Illinois (December 2018)

Holiday Cookie and Confection Round-up (2018)

"You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after eat a cookie, but you can't be miserable while you are eating a cookie..." (Ina Garten) With a marathon couple of days looming before me, I am still trying to decide what will go in this year's holiday cookie boxes. Will I be overambitious and make everything I posted here? Especially because these are my tried and true favorites, the ones I would love to get, and honestly, I had to stop somewhere. Although I wouldn't put it past myself to swap out and add something else.There are two new holiday cookies and one new confection on the list this year. As soon as I made them I immediately knew they were destined for the holidays. 

Or will I scale it back and choose less than a half-dozen of them because really, how much insanity do I want to experience in a 72 hour period? Or rather how much insanity am I capable of without going over the edge? I actually know the answer to that, but will let you know how I fare. 

If you are still looking for ideas for your holiday cookie boxes and platters, you will find links to all of the recipes below. No need to spend your time searching through the recipe index as I want to give you as much time as possible to do the ingredient shopping, baking, and packing up your gift boxes. In other words, even if I am little reckless with playing around with the limits of my own sanity, I care about yours. For those of you who, like me, wait until Christmas gets a little closer, happy baking!

Amy's Shortbread Cookies

Toasted Coconut Spritz Cookies

Milk Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies with Rum Butter Glaze

Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Peppermint Creams

Chocolate Dipped Sea Salted Caramels

Orangettes aka Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peels

Homemade Fluffy Marshmallows

Homemade Graham Crackers

Sugar Meringue Walnuts aka Candied Walnuts

Cranberry Meatballs with Creamy Ranch Dip

Last week after a great morning four mile run, I went to a memorial service for someone who showed me incredible kindness years ago. On my way home I decided to stop at IKEA to pick up more of their very inexpensive dish towels as the ones I had seemed to have mysteriously vanished. Some people lose their socks in the washer and dryer, I lose dish towels. If you have ever been to an IKEA you know you can't get out of there without walking at least a mile. Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration. Maybe it's at least a 3/4 of a mile As it turned out I think I walked at least a mile before I realized the dish towels were on the first floor, not the second. Which meant that in order to get to the checkout I had to walk what seemed like another two miles. My perception of distance may have been affected by trying to balance an armload of dish towels, placemats, and a couple of breakable items. Shopping there isn't for anyone who doesn't walk, run, or exercise regularly.  However, if you the only things holding you back from exercising is the cold weather or the cost of a gym membership, you could walk through an IKEA for your daily workout! I would say 'free' daily workout, but it's hard to walk out of there without buying something. Even if it's just a 79 cent dishtowel. If anyone from IKEA reads this post, more than likely they will be cringing at the mere suggestion their store also function as a fitness center.

Seeing bags of frozen Swedish meatballs on my way out of IKEA's maze reminded me I needed to make these Cranberry Meatballs with Creamy Ranch Dip. You see, on a girl's getaway trip in early November, I made the crockpot version of the barbecue sauce and grape jelly meatballs. They were just okay, nothing to write home about, and definitely nothing to blog about. (Forgive me now if those meatballs are the ones nearest and dearest to your heart.)

Considering some of us were feeling no pain after a very relaxing afternoon, I am keeping my fingers crossed the only thing not remembered on this trip were those meatballs. These Cranberry Meatballs with Creamy Ranch Dip are a completely different animal. Had I made these for the trip, they would definitely have been remembered. Not because they are seriously delicious, but because not even our day drinking bottles of Prosecco in the hot tub followed by several chasers of Manhattans, Old-Fashioneds (it's a must do Wisconsin thing), Vodka, Irish Mules, and Tequila on the rocks would have had the potential to dull our collective taste buds. What I am trying to say is I would like a do-over and serve these Cranberry Meatballs with Creamy Ranch Dip instead. If only to give me a sense of redemption although I have a sneaking suspicion everyone actually remembered those other meatballs.

You have probably seen several variations of Cranberry Meatballs as they have been around forever. Most recipes call for making them in a crockpot. This one is a stove-top or oven baked version. Most have only two ingredients:; canned cranberry sauce (either jellied or whole berry) and a jar of chili sauce. This one uses the canned whole berry cranberry sauce, the chili sauce, and a little bit of brown sugar. Almost all of the recipes call for the use of frozen cocktail-sized meatballs. This one uses regular sized frozen meatballs. Ones slightly larger than cocktail-sized. More of a two or three bite meatball rather than a one and done bite meatball.

Other than making those subtle changes to the 'original' recipe, what makes these Cranberry Meatballs the hit of your next gathering is serving them with a Creamy Ranch Dip. The combination of the hot sweet-spicy meatball dipped into the cool, creamy, herby ranch dip is a dance party on your palate. Destined to be one of the most memorable little bites you serve to your family and friends!

Cooked on the stovetop or in the oven, it takes less than 45 minutes to make the Cranberry Meatballs. They can be kept warm in a low temperature oven or reheat the over low on the stovetop if not serving immediately. And if by chance you have a meatball or two leftover, they reheat up beautifully in the microwave.

Could you serve these Cranberry Meatballs without the Creamy Ranch Dip? You could. Would I serve them without it? Definitely not. As a added bonus any leftover Creamy Ranch dip would go well with a platter of fresh vegetables or tossed in salad. That is, if don't eat the leftovers out of the bowl with a spoon. 

If your gathering is small I would suggest putting only half of the meatballs in an ovenproof serving dish and keeping the rest of them warm on the stovetop or in the oven. Even though they are good room temperature, they taste even better when they are warm.

This may be one of the easiest appetizers you make all season or for any future gathering. With all of the other demands the holidays have on our time, it's always good to have a really, really, really, great easy, quick to make dish to serve. Not only do these meatballs have a bit of a wow factor to them, they are incredibly satisfying! And like the IKEA dishtowels, these too will magically disappear! If you wanted, you could even make them into little cranberry meatball sandwiches. Place a meatball on a small roll/bun, top with some of the Creamy Ranch Dip and suddenly you have an even heartier appetizer! But no matter how you serve these Cranberry Meatballs, make this version! 

Note: As much as I love IKEA's dish towels as napkins, these homemade Swedish Meatballs are better than anything you can buy frozen. Although their jarred Lingonberry Sauce is really good. 

Recipe
Cranberry Meatballs with Creamy Ranch Dip
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients
Creamy Ranch Dip
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 green onion, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Meatballs
2 1/2 pounds frozen meatballs (about 40 larger sized meatballs) Note: Do not thaw the meatballs.
1 can (14 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 jar (12 ounces) chili sauce
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

Directions
Creamy Ranch Dip
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir to blend.
2. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving (or could be made the night before).

Meatballs
1. In a large saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine. 
2. Cook mixture over medium heat until heated through.
3. Add meatballs. Stir to coat meatballs in the sauce mixture. Put a lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for 40-45 minutes (stirring every 10-15 minutes). 
4. When meatballs are heated through, they are ready to serve with the Creamy Ranch Dip.

Serving suggestion:; Transfer cooked meatballs to an ovenproof container. Chop up some fresh parsley and sprinkle over the top of the meatballs. Arrange the container of meatballs, a bowl of the Creamy Ranch Dip and some mini-fork toothpicks on a large board or platter. Eat and enjoy!

Notes: (1) Meatballs can also be made in the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). On the stove top, combine the cranberry sauce, chili sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook mixture over medium heat until heated through. Add meatballs. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in oven for 25-35 minutes. (2) The Creamy Ranch Dip will be good for a week refrigerated if well covered. Use any leftover dip as a salad dressing or a dip with fresh vegetables. (3) You can find meatballs in the frozen food section of most grocery stores. They usually come in two sizes: regular and cocktail sized. I strongly recommend using the regular sized meatballs, however, depending on the size of your gathering, the recipe can also be made with the smaller cocktail sized meatballs. Be careful not to buy any highly seasoned (i.e., Italian) meatballs for this recipe.