Mango Chile Meatballs (Frugal Food Thursday)

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It's almost mango season here at the Frugal Follies household.  Last year, I made and canned lots of mango butter, mango jam, and my favorite, mango chili sauce, from the fruit from the tree in the backyard. I still have a lot left, so I figured I should get going in using all of it.

Here's a recipe I invented this week: Mango Chile Meatballs.

I loved the combination of the sweet mango and the spicy chilies, and the sauce soaked into the meatballs and made them delightful!

MANGO CHILE MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
nonstick cooking spray
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pint mango chile sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, garlic powder, pepper, and beaten egg.  Mix well and form into 32 meatballs.  Spray a cooking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the meatballs on the cooking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Take care when removing the sheet from the oven - don't spill the accumulated fat on the sheet.

In a large saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cooking, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for another three minutes.

Add the meatballs to the vegetables.  Add the pint of mango chile sauce.  Turn the heat to high and boil the sauce.  Once it starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over brown rice.

MANGO CHILE SAUCE

3 cups coarsely chopped peeled plum tomatoes (about 8-10 tomatoes - here's how to skin a tomato)
2 cups chopped mango (about 4-5 mangoes - here's how to cut a mango)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp minced gingerroot
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine tomatoes, mango, peppers, vinegar, pineapple juice, onion, celery, gingerroot, and bay leaf in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 1 hour or until thickened.

Add sugar and salt; return to a boil and boil gently for 10 minutes.   Remove and discard bay leaf.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into half-pint jars to within 1/2 inch of rim.  Process 15 minutes as described in canning manuals.

Makes 5 half-pint (8 oz) jars.

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