Okay, I don't know if this is so much a recipe, as it is assembly instructions, but when I had occasion to need an appetizer that would taste great and feed many, I discovered I didn't know if there were extra stages to making this. I'm here to say: there aren't. This is about as simple as they come.
BBQ Meatballs
Take a large bag of frozen pre-cooked meatballs and place them in a heated Crock Pot. Pour BBQ Sauce over them until they are pretty much covered. Let sit in hot crock pot (on high) until heated through.
That's literally it.
Tips:
Plan ahead - if you can thaw or pre-heat the meatballs first, they will be ready sooner. I placed mine in the fridge overnight. They came up to temperature around the 1 1/2 to 2-hour mark. Obviously one of the beauties to an appetizer that uses a slow cooker is that you can get the prep out of the way early, and it can handle (and even needs) sitting for long periods of time without damaging the final product. This leaves you free to prepare more demanding items.
This takes a lot of barbecue sauce. I used a large bag of meatballs from Smart & Final (around 100 ct.), and it took more than a bottle of sauce to cover. Plan ahead and buy 2 bottles of BBQ sauce for this one. To make it extra interesting, consider mixing brands/types of sauces to create a more complex flavor. I mixed an inexpensive dark sauce with the remaining portion of a bottle of Chris & Pitts sauce, which is more of a red barbecue sauce, to rave reviews. If you are making a smaller amount, still assume you will need at least a bottle.
Serve with a slotted spoon and toothpicks. Plan for splatter by placing the Crock Pot in an easily accessible area, on an easy-to-clean surface.
If this is a potluck item, remember that many people bring starches, veggies and sweets. As possibly one of the few meat items, it will be popular. Shopping it right, this is not expensive to make, so go big on the portion planning.
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