Cheddar Crab Puffs, AND Cocktail Meatballs with Creamy Cranberry Sauce

My gift to you, Dear Readers on this Happy Friday, is TWO recipes today:

Cheddar Crab Puffs
(makes 3&1/2 dozen)

3/4 cup water
4 T. butter, cut up
1/8 cup garlic chives*, chopped fine
3/4 c. all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/4 t. each of sea salt* and lemon pepper*
1 cup shredded extra sharp white* cheddar (4 oz.)
6 oz. crabmeat, picked over for shells

Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a 3 qt. saucepan, combine water, butter, and 1/4 t. S&P. Heat to boiling on medium. Remove from heat. Add flour and stir until a ball forms. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until dough is smooth and shiny. Stir in cheese and crab.With a tablespoon-size cookie scoop, scoop mixture into balls onto parchment, spacing 1" apart. Bake 25-30 mins. or until golden brown, switching racks halfway through. Serve warm. To make ahead, place in resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 1 month. Reheat frozen puffs in 400 oven 8-10 mins. YUMOLA!!

Cocktail Meatballs with Creamy Cranberry Sauce
(makes about 3&12 doz.)

Amy's Kickin' Chicken Meatballs with Cranberries* (Costco - in the Deli dept.)
     (OR Costco's frozen Italian Meatballs - both are fully cooked), OR make you can make your own:
     1&1/4 lbs. ground beef sirloin
     1/3 cup plain dried bread crumbs
     1/4 cup grated onion
     1 large egg, beaten.
     1/4 t. ground nutmeg
     1/8 t. dried oregano*
     S&P
     EVOO* cooking spray
1/2 cup sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt*
3 T. light* mayo
2 T. cranberry preserves
2 T. grainy Dijon mustard
1/8 t. prepared horseradish*
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
Chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450. Line 18x12" jelly roll pan with foil; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, nutmeg. and S&P to taste (they recommend 1/2 t.). With a tablespoon-size cookie-dough scoop, scoop mixture into balls; place on prepared pan, 1/2' apart. Spray meatballs with cooking spray. Roast 20-25 mins. or until cooked through. OR just heat up the fully cooked meatballs from Costco in your microwave on a glass pie plate. In a bowl, stir remaining ingredients except parsley. Garnish meatball with parsley, and serve with sauce. Another YUMOLA!!!

"Fix your eyes on the unseen even as the visible world parades before your eyes".

Have FUN and LOL today!!!

Love,

MM