Ella Walter
Cooking pre-cooked meatballs in a crock pot is a simple and versatile way to make a delicious meal. Whether you're using frozen or fresh meatballs, there are a few key steps to follow. Firstly, greasing the crock pot is essential to prevent sticking. Then, adding a sauce of your choice, such as marinara, gravy, or a combination of grape jelly and BBQ sauce, will infuse flavour into the meatballs. Covering the crock pot and cooking on low heat for around 6-8 hours is recommended, but some recipes suggest cooking on high heat for 3-4 hours. It's important to ensure the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe for consumption. With these simple steps, you can create a tasty dish that can be served in a variety of ways, including with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Meatball type | Pre-cooked, frozen |
| Thawing | No need to thaw before cooking |
| Meat temperature | Should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F |
| Sauce | Marinara, Swedish meatball gravy, or tomato |
| Other ingredients | Sour cream, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, cherry preserves, Dijon mustard, pepper, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, etc. |
| Cook time | 2.5-8 hours |
| Cook temperature | Low or high |
| Stirring | Stir meatballs to ensure they are coated in sauce |
| Storage | Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days |
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What You'll Learn
No need to thaw precooked meatballs
Precooked meatballs can be cooked in a crockpot from frozen without needing to be thawed beforehand. They can be cooked on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for about 4 hours. It is important that the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat.
One recipe for precooked meatballs in a crockpot involves using grape jelly, chili sauce, and BBQ sauce. The crockpot should be greased first, and then the jelly and sauces can be added and stirred together. The frozen precooked meatballs can then be added and stirred until they are fully coated in the sauce. The crockpot should then be covered and cooked on high for 3 hours.
Another recipe for precooked meatballs in a crockpot is for Swedish meatballs. This recipe involves making a sauce by melting butter and whisking in flour, beef broth, cherry preserves, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and pepper. This sauce is then poured over the frozen meatballs in the crockpot and cooked on low heat for 6-8 hours until the sauce is thickened. Sour cream can then be stirred in, and the meatballs can be kept warm until ready to serve.
It is not necessary to thaw precooked meatballs before cooking them in a crockpot, but doing so can reduce the cooking time by half. If you choose to thaw your meatballs, remember to cut your cooking time in half.
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Browning the meatballs first
Browning your precooked meatballs before putting them in the crock pot is a good idea if you want them to hold their shape. Browning the meatballs in a skillet can also help to remove some of the fat, so that your sauce doesn't have a lot of grease sitting on top.
To brown your precooked meatballs, place them in a deep skillet and brown all sides before transferring them to the slow cooker. You can brown the meatballs without defrosting them first. If you want to cut down the cooking time in your crock pot, you can place your frozen bag of meatballs in the fridge overnight to thaw them. However, this is not necessary.
Once you have browned your meatballs, you can add them to your crock pot and cover them with your sauce of choice. You can use a store-bought pasta sauce, spaghetti sauce, or marinara sauce. Alternatively, you can make your own sauce by melting butter and whisking in flour, beef broth, cherry preserves, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and pepper.
After adding your sauce, cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or on high heat for 3-4 hours. Your meatballs need to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat.
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Using a slow cooker
If you're using a slow cooker, you don't need to thaw precooked or raw meatballs before putting them in. However, if you want to reduce the cooking time by half, you can thaw the meatballs overnight in the fridge before placing them in the slow cooker.
To cook precooked frozen meatballs in a slow cooker, first grease the crockpot with cooking spray. Then, add in your desired sauce—this could be grape jelly, chilli sauce, BBQ sauce, marinara sauce, or a combination of butter, flour, beef broth, cherry preserves, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and pepper. Stir the ingredients to combine.
Next, add the desired amount of frozen meatballs and stir until they are fully coated with the sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. The meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
You can serve the meatballs as-is, or use them as a topping for mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. They can also be used to make meatball subs, added to pasta bakes, or served as an appetizer with toothpicks.
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Serving suggestions
Pre-cooked meatballs can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some suggestions:
Over Rice or Mashed Potatoes
Meatballs can be served over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes. For a complete meal, pair it with a side of green beans.
As an Appetizer
You can also serve the meatballs as an appetizer with toothpicks.
Meatball Sub
Another option is to serve the meatballs on a roll with provolone cheese to make a meatball sub.
With Pasta
You can boil a pot of pasta, strain it, and then mix it with the meatballs. You can also add a pot of pasta sauce to the meatballs.
With Sauce
Meatballs can be served with a variety of sauces such as:
- Swedish meatball gravy
- Sour cream sauce
- Sweet and sour sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Tomato sauce
With Salad or Vegetables
Meatballs can be served with a salad or roasted vegetables.
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Reheating and storing
Pre-cooked meatballs can be reheated in a crock pot, in the oven, or on the stove. If you're reheating a large batch of meatballs, the oven is the best option. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the meatballs for 8 to 10 minutes. For smaller batches, you can use a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1 minute, then continue cooking in 30-second increments until the desired temperature is reached.
To reheat meatballs in a crock pot, place them back into the crock pot and warm them on low heat with the sauce. You can also add the meatballs to a saucepan on the stove and heat them until they are warmed through.
Leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. It is not recommended to refreeze the meatballs after cooking them in the crock pot. To ensure food safety, meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there is no need to thaw pre-cooked meatballs before adding them to the crock pot.
It is recommended to cook pre-cooked meatballs on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for about 3-4 hours.
You can use various sauces such as marinara sauce, gravy, or a combination of grape jelly, chili sauce, and BBQ sauce.
Pre-cooked meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure they are safe to eat.
Yes, you can add ingredients like cheese, vegetables, or sausages to the crock pot with pre-cooked meatballs to create a more flavourful dish.
