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Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce | DadTheFoodie

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce recipe photograph

Instructions

Put the grated apple and grated or finely chopped small onion in a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Add them to a bowl with the pork mince, breadcrumbs, egg, sage, oregano, salt and black pepper. Mix gently until combined, then shape into about 20 meatballs.
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for 5–7 minutes, turning carefully, until coloured all over. They do not need to be cooked through. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
Add the sliced onion and garlic to the same pan and cook for 2–3 minutes. Tip them into the slow cooker, scraping in any browned bits from the pan.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock, then stir in the tomato purée and sugar, if using. Gently turn the meatballs so they are coated in the sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling around them. The centre of a meatball should reach at least 75°C if checked with a food thermometer.
Scatter with parsley and serve with spaghetti, mashed potato, rice or crusty bread.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Clean tea towel

Swaps and substitutions

Pork mince → Turkey mince
Use the same quantity, but take care not to overmix the meatballs.
Fresh sage → Dried sage
Use 1 teaspoon dried sage instead of 1 tablespoon fresh.
Chicken stock → Vegetable stock
Use a reduced-salt stock if serving young children.
Fresh breadcrumbs → Fine dried breadcrumbs
Use 40 g dried breadcrumbs and allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes before shaping.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes
Batch cooking: Suitable for batch cooking
Storage: Cool leftovers promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate within two hours. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost: Defrost the frozen meatballs and sauce in the fridge overnight in a covered container. Reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.
Reheating: Defrost thoroughly if frozen, then reheat in a saucepan over a medium-low heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. Stir the sauce and check that the meatballs are steaming hot in the centre. Reheat only once.
Leftover ideas: Split leftovers into lunch portions and serve with pasta, baked potatoes or crusty bread. The meatballs can also be chopped and used as a filling for toasted rolls.

Allergen information

Contains egg and gluten if using standard breadcrumbs. Check stock and breadcrumb labels for allergens. For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free breadcrumbs and stock.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

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Recipe info

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 360 min
Servings: 4

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Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

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Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

500 g British pork mince
1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
1 small onion, finely grated or very finely chopped
50 g fresh breadcrumbs
1 medium egg
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, for browning
1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
250 ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon sugar, optional, to balance the tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve

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Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Pork, Meatballs, Family dinner, Freezer friendly, Midweek meals

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce

Name: Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 385 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 500 g British pork mince; 1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated; 1 small onion, finely grated or very finely chopped; 50 g fresh breadcrumbs; 1 medium egg; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, for browning; 1 medium onion, finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes; 250 ml chicken stock; 2 tablespoons tomato purée; 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, to balance the tomatoes; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve

These tender pork meatballs combine grated apple, onion and sage with a rich tomato sauce for a family-friendly slow cooker dinner. Serve with spaghetti, mashed potato or crusty bread to catch every bit of sauce.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hr 25 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Large mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Clean tea towel

Ingredients

500 g British pork mince
1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
1 small onion, finely grated or very finely chopped
50 g fresh breadcrumbs
1 medium egg
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, for browning
1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
250 ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 teaspoon sugar, optional, to balance the tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Substitutions

Pork mince → Turkey mince (Use the same quantity, but take care not to overmix the meatballs.)
Fresh sage → Dried sage (Use 1 teaspoon dried sage instead of 1 tablespoon fresh.)
Chicken stock → Vegetable stock (Use a reduced-salt stock if serving young children.)
Fresh breadcrumbs → Fine dried breadcrumbs (Use 40 g dried breadcrumbs and allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes before shaping.)

Instructions

Put the grated apple and grated or finely chopped small onion in a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Add them to a bowl with the pork mince, breadcrumbs, egg, sage, oregano, salt and black pepper. Mix gently until combined, then shape into about 20 meatballs.
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for 5–7 minutes, turning carefully, until coloured all over. They do not need to be cooked through. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
Add the sliced onion and garlic to the same pan and cook for 2–3 minutes. Tip them into the slow cooker, scraping in any browned bits from the pan.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock, then stir in the tomato purée and sugar, if using. Gently turn the meatballs so they are coated in the sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling around them. The centre of a meatball should reach at least 75°C if checked with a food thermometer.
Scatter with parsley and serve with spaghetti, mashed potato, rice or crusty bread.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate within two hours. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost: Defrost the frozen meatballs and sauce in the fridge overnight in a covered container. Reheat until piping hot throughout before serving.

Defrost thoroughly if frozen, then reheat in a saucepan over a medium-low heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout. Stir the sauce and check that the meatballs are steaming hot in the centre. Reheat only once.

Split leftovers into lunch portions and serve with pasta, baked potatoes or crusty bread. The meatballs can also be chopped and used as a filling for toasted rolls.

Allergen information

Contains egg and gluten if using standard breadcrumbs. Check stock and breadcrumb labels for allergens. For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free breadcrumbs and stock.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

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