Vintage 1990 Christmas Recipes · Archived / untested
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
A community recipe submitted by Fran VanStaalduinen (Standard Hill Landscape), preserved from a 1990 holiday collection in Mother's recipe archive.
Gather
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- ¾ cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked
- 1 (4-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 can (approximately 8¼ ounces) crushed pineapple, juice reserved
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup beef bouillon
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ⅓ cup chopped green pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped maraschino cherries
Prepare
Directions
- Combine the first eight ingredients (through garlic powder) in a mixing bowl. Mix lightly and form 1-inch balls.
- Arrange half the meatballs on a microwave roasting rack in a 12 × 8-inch baking dish; cover with wax paper.
- Microwave on high for 5–7 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the cooked meatballs and repeat with the remaining batch. Cook ground beef to 160°F in the center.
- Discard the drippings and return the cooked meatballs to the baking dish.
- Drain the pineapple and reserve the juice. In a 4-cup microwave-safe glass measure, combine the reserved juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Gradually stir in the beef bouillon, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
- Microwave on high for 6–8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until thickened.
- Add the drained pineapple, chopped green pepper, and maraschino cherries. Pour or spoon the sauce over the cooked meatballs to serve.
Kitchen Notes
The source is a 1990 microwave method. Cooking times vary by oven; the safe final temperature matters more than the clock. The pineapple can size is somewhat unclear in the source image and should be checked against the original before final archival transcription.
Original Source
Submitted by Fran VanStaalduinen (Standard Hill Landscape). Old Fashioned Christmas Recipes, Timesaver Shopping Guide, December 11, 1990, page 3. From Mother's cookbook collection.
This is an archival transcription; no personal testing is claimed.