Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce

Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce are a proper plant-based Thanksgiving entree recipe. This healthy gluten-free dish is bursting with savory-sweet flavor thanks to a simple homemade BBQ sauce.

When it comes to Thanksgiving for us plant-based folks, there is always just one thing missing. We get family time, a relaxing long weekend, glasses of wine and cider around the fire. We have sides galore: salad, soup, mashed (or smashed or scalloped or fried or roasted!) potatoes, casseroles galore, stuffing, apple pie, green beans...

But there is a big main-course sized hole in our Thanksgiving-loving hearts.

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But these Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce put that main course back in Thanksgiving. These are hearty, flavorful entree we can build our plates around.

As much as I love sides, they are the unsung hero of plant-based eating, it is nice to have these Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce to sink our teeth into.

Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce are loaded with Thanksgiving flavor. The veggie meatballs are flavored with sauteed onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and basically make your house smell like a Michilan star restaurant while they are cooking.

The Cranberry barbeque sauce is sweet, spicy, and tangy. The cranberries replace vinegar in this BBQ for that perfect puckery pop. Coconut sugar and molasses add sweetness and depth of flavor.

Make use of all the sides on the buffet and serve these Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce over mashed potatoes. You are going to need a vehicle to soak up all that sauce and mashed potatoes will not back down from the challenge. Other mentionable players include crusty bread, dinner rolls, or even good pasta.

A proper plant-based Thanksgiving.

Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce

• Author: Laurel
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 80 minutes
• Total Time: 90 minutes
• Category: Entree
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan

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Description

Veggie Meatballs with Cranberry Barbecue Sauce are a proper plant-based Thanksgiving entree recipe. This healthy gluten-free dish is bursting with savory-sweet flavor thanks to a simple homemade BBQ sauce.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Veggie Meatballs:

• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons avocado oil OR coconut oil
• 1 large celery stick (chopped)
• 1 large carrot (chopped)
• ½ onion (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 15 oz. can white beans
• 1 ½ cups quick oats
• 1 cup walnuts
• ¼ cup arrowroot starch

For the Cranberry Barbecue Sauce:

• 2 teaspoons avocado oil OR coconut oil
• ½ onion (chopped)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 4 tablespoons molasses
• 4 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup water

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Instructions

For the Veggie Meatballs:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and the water. Set aside to thicken.
2. Add the 2 teaspoons of oil into a medium skillet. Add in the celery, carrot, onion, and salt. Sautee until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the cooked vegetables into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Add in the remaining ingredients, including the flax mixture, and process until a dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
4. Using a 2 tablespoon measure, roll the dough into balls and place them onto the baking sheet. If your hands get too stick with the dough, wash, dry, and then spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat until all of the dough is formed into balls. Bake for 25 minutes, flip, and bake another 20-30 minutes, or until the bells age golden brown and the centers are cooked through.

For the Cranberry Barbecue Sauce:

1. While the veggie balls are cooking, heat the oil in a saucepot. Add in the onion, cranberries, and salt. Sautee until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, another 30 seconds-1 minute.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with veggie balls.

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