Ingredients

Scale

2 lb. lean ground beef (or other lean ground meat–I used grass-fed ground round)
1 small onion, peeled & chopped into chunks
3 – 6 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup crushed Rice Chex cereal
2 Tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
2 eggs

For the sauce:

1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce (I used this recipe, without the walnuts, although I think this one would work well too)
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1/4 – 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (to taste)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Put the ground meat in a medium mixing bowl.
In a small chopper or food processor, chop up the onion, garlic, rice, dried cranberries, and ginger root into fine bits. Stir this mixture into the meat, mixing well. Add the salt, cloves, Rice Chex, yogurt and eggs. Mix together with your hands until everything is well mixed. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls and set on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 – 18 minutes or until browned on top and completely cooked inside.
Meanwhile, mix the cranberry and barbecue sauce with the chipotle powder. If serving immediately, heat the sauce. When the meatballs are done, put them in a crockpot and pour the sauce over. Keep on the warm setting to serve.

Notes

If making ahead of time, set the sauce aside until the meatballs are done. Put the meatballs into a container and pour the sauce over. Cover and refrigerate. Warm the meatballs in the microwave, then gently place them in the crockpot (taking care not to break them) and pour the remaining sauce over top. Heat the crockpot on high for 1 – 2 hours, then turn to the warm setting.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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