The history of Christmas meatballs is tied to the Swedish dish Köttbullar, which some sources trace back to King Charles XII bringing the recipe from the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. While meatballs have ancient roots, the specific tradition of serving them on the Swedish Christmas julbord is a relatively modern development, gaining prominence around the 1970s. They are great and festive for Christmas parties and hold well for a period of time in a chafing dish. They also can be made ahead of time and frozen….I can tell you I always have them in my freezer!
My version is made with both ground beef and pecan wood smoked bacon, spices, Parmesan cheese and a dab or two of my famous and smokey Chipotle Ketchup.
They are then cast-iron skillet roasted with a sweet, tangy and spicy sauce made with cranberries, chipotle chiles, red wine vinegar and beef broth.
They are addictive and always one of the first dishes to disappear on my buffet table!
Valentine’s Day Feast – Let Us Handle the Cooking! 
