Slow-Cooker Spanish Meatballs

On Saturday, my friend Kim and her boyfriend Mike came up to Andover for a visit.  Our plan was to go for a late morning hike and then come home to a late lunch.  I knew that we would be famished by the time we came home so I decided that this would be a great idea to try out Everyday Food's recipe for Slow-Cooker Spanish Meatballs.  Since the meatballs cook for about five hours, I got to work on them first thing Saturday morning so that they would be ready by the time we came home from our hike.

First, I gathered my ingredients.  I adapted the recipe a bit based on what I had on had:

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 5 tablespoons plain dried breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Coarse salt and fresh-cracked pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 jar leftover tomato and basil marinara sauce

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, I combined the pork, 1/4 cup onion, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, breadcrumbs, eggs, and parsley.  I also seasoned the meatball mixture with salt and pepper.

Using our hands, we rolled about thirty-seven meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches wide each).

In two large nonstick skillet, we warmed up a few tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high and browned the meatballs on all side.

When the meatballs were browned, I placed them all into the slow cooker.  I then sauteed the rest of the chopped onion in the skillet with some olive oil and the pork bits.

I added the onion to the slow cooker, along with the remaining cayenne and sweet paprika, the two cans of diced tomatoes and the leftover marinara sauce.  I also seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper.

The meatballs cooked on low for five hours in the slow cooker while we enjoyed our morning, including our hike at Harold Parker State Forest. (Thanks to Kim for the adorable photos!)

When we returned home, Bret quickly cooked up some egg noodles to enjoy with our meatballs!

The cayenne added a lot of heat but thankfully everyone loved the spicy meatballs.  I especially loved the strong cumin flavors, which added a nice flavor to the dish.

This slow cooker recipe really helped make a great meal while still enjoying our time with our friends.  Tell me, what tricks do you use to enjoy company while still pulling together a great meal?