There are certain foods that I always associate with the holiday season.  One of these foods is “little smokies” sausages.  So this past November and December when I had “little smokies” on the brain, I began to wonder how I could now enjoy this seasonal dish as a vegetarian.  Then the thought popped into my mind.  I would use vegetarian “meatballs” to recreate this simple, yet classic, treat.  As a time saver, I used MorningStar brand vegetarian meatballs in this recipe, but it would certainly be ideal to use homemade vegetarian “meatballs.”  Give Google a quick search and you are sure to find many delicious and healthy recipes for these.

“Little Smokies” Vegetarian Meatballs”

Servings: 2

Ingredients

water, for cooking
1/4 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
black pepper, to taste
15 vegetarian “meatballs” (mine were frozen)
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup grape jelly (I used a low-sugar variety)
cooked brown rice, optional

Directions

1. Line a medium saute pan with a thin layer of water.  Heat the water over medium-high heat until it is very hot.

2. Lower the heat to medium, and add the diced onions and garlic to the pan.  Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.  Add additional water, as needed.

3. Season the onion and garlic mixture with black pepper.

4. Add the frozen “meatballs” to the pan and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until they have begun to thaw.

5. Add the chili sauce and grape jelly and stir well until the sauce is combined.  Lower the heat to medium-low and allow the “meatballs” to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

6. If you are serving these at a party, you can transfer the “meatballs” to a slow cooker and set the slow cooker on the “warm” setting.

7. Serve the “Little Smokies” Vegetarian Meatballs over brown rice, if desired.

 

 

 

 

 

The combination of the “meatballs,” the delicious sauce, and the rice was absolutely delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

All mixed together, now .

This vegetarian version of “little smokies” completely satisfied my craving for the meat version.  The sauce was delicious and the texture of the “meatballs” was perfect.  I will absolutely be making these again.  And, I may just have to make them for entertaining purposes.  After all, I am fairly certain that no one could tell the difference between my vegetarian version and the “real thing.”