Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Remember how we talked yesterday about my weekend filled up and plans changed? That happened today. For the better, but plans changed yet again. I decided to make these meatballs at some point this week. At first, it was going to be Monday, but we had the memorial service. Then, it was going to be last night, but mom invited me over for some homemade chicken pot pie, and I never turn down a pot pie. So I figured I'd make them tonight, even though Dan was scheduled to work, because they'd be fine as leftovers. Well, Dan isn't working tonight, so that's what worked out better. I had a dinner for him that he would like. A lot of times when he has class or is working, I cook something he won't like since it's just me eating.

These were really good. The original recipe poster had stated that they are a pretty wet meatball, so they bake up pretty moist, which is true. Ground chicken tends to be mushier when mixed up, so when you add the hot sauce and egg, and only a little bit of bread crumbs, it certainly stayed pretty moist. Forming them into some beautiful round meatballs wasn't going to happen, so I just mushed them up into a semi-round shape and baked them. They were going to be squished between some whole wheat buns anyways...

The flavor was great. Since I used my whole pound of ground chicken instead of just a half pound, I upped some of the other ingredients. The recipe below is my recipe that I used. It was just the perfect amount of heat. I like buffalo, but I'm a big wuss when it comes to heat (spice-wise and weather-wise). Most buffalo tenders leave me panting and trying to down as much liquid and eat as much bread after as possible, and the burn lingers on my tongue and lips for hours. I didn't quite double the hot sauce for this, because I knew I didn't want super-hot buffalo, I wanted to taste the hot sauce and also taste the ranch that's mixed in there. Topped with some Swiss cheese and blue cheese dressing, it was delicious!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
adapted from Chocolate Moosey

1 lb. ground chicken
1/3 cup hot sauce
2 tbsp. dried minced onion
2 tbsp. ranch dressing powder mix
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. bread crumbs
1 egg

sub rolls

Optional:
cheese for subs
blue cheese dressing for subs

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and coat with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
3. Roll into meatballs (I got about 15 out of this).
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Serve how you like them. I served mine on whole wheat sub rolls. Topped with a couple of thin slices of Swiss cheese, I threw it under the broiler for two minutes and let the cheese melt and roll toast. Drizzled on some blue cheese dressing and ate it up!

Goopey meatballs