It’s time for comfort food! This BBQ Meatballs and Cheese Grits is the perfect combination of tangy BBQ sauce, juicy beef meatballs, rich cheese grits, and creamy cheese grits. If you have never tried cheese grits, check out my cheese-grits blog. They are a southern classic that can be topped with delicious treats. Today’s tasty goodies are barbecue meatballs. 😉
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BBQ MEATBALLS & CHEESE GRITS
This bowl is quite rich and delicious on its own. I recommend pairing it with something green to offset the heavy meal. My BBQ Meatballs with Cheese Grits were paired with Jerk Seasoned Collard Greens. The BBQ sauce is complemented perfectly by the jerk seasoning. This dish can also be paired with Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Vegetarian Mustard greens and Braised Red Cabbage.
CAN I USE DIFFERENT MEATS?
You can substitute pork with another type of ground meat. This recipe can be made with either ground beef or turkey. To keep the meatballs moist, I recommend using ground meat with a higher fat percentage.
WHAT KIND OF BBQ SUGAR DO YOU CHOOSE?
I love all kinds of BBQ sauces, so I don’t have a favorite. I would choose honey- or smoky-flavored sauce for this particular dish. They will go well with the cheddar cheese in my grits. Anything pineapple- or teriyaki-flavored would be avoided.
BBQ MEATBALLS WITH CHEESE GRITS
The perfect comfort food for fall nights, football games and afternoons spent raking leaves is BBQ Meatballs With Cheese Grits
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
BBQ MEATBALLS
- 1 lb. Ground pork ($3.49)
- 1 large egg ($0.21)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs ($0.07)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, split ($0.54)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.02)
CHEESE GRITS
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 2 cups milk (1.25)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1 cup quick-cooking grits (0.49)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp Butter ($0.18)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar ($1.15)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat the oven to 350oF Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Combine the ground pork, egg, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl with 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce. Add salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and 2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce. Mix the seasonings into the pork with your hands until it is well combined.
- Divide the pork mixture into 16 meatballs the same size as ping pong balls. Place the meatballs onto the baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are browned and cooked through.
- While the meatballs bake, make the cheese grits. Combine the chicken broth, milk, garlic powder, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring to a boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally to avoid milk scorching.
- After the grits have boiled, add the quick-cooking grits to the saucepan and season with salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the grits to simmer for approximately 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the butter and pepper and remove the grits to the heat. Then, add the shredded cheddar one at a time to the grits.
- After the meatballs are baked, transfer them to a bowl. Pour the remaining BBQ sauce on top. Mix well. The BBQ sauce will heat up due to the heat of the meatballs. You can heat the sauce and meatballs in a sauce pot on low heat for a few moments if your BBQ sauce has not been refrigerated.
- Place about 1 cup of cheese grits into a bowl. Serve with four meatballs and some BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
