We all know those people who are “meat and potatoes” kinda folks, my pops is one, so is my sister. These little bites are their kinda food, so if your throwing or attending holiday parties and you need to please everyone, these are your ticket to the hearts of meat and potatoes people everywhere. I seem to morph into a meat and potatoes kinda gal when winter hits, the comfort and nourishment inherent in a beef stew that’s been simmering all day long, or crispy roasted potatoes with roast chicken or eggs for breakfast. Necessary additions for bone chilling Canadian winters. But then spring arrives, and summer and again I morph into a near vegan, fresh raw salads and berries in abundance, oh the days of yore.
So this is my first ever entry into a contest (omg) hosted by the little potato company, who lovingly hooked me and a bunch of other Canadian food bloggers with a few bags of their fabulous little potatoes. It’s no secret that I have a penchant for all things dubbed “little” or “baby”, they are just so much better than their large counterparts. These potatoes are no exception, especially the blue ones, I adore blue potatoes and all blue foods for that matter. It wasn’t easy choosing what to do for my entry, there are endless potato ideas afloat in my head. I thought given the holiday season that it would be nice to make some food on a stick, because a. everything tastes better when its on a stick and b. its the season of potlucks and holiday parties where typical hors doevres lack the robust filling qualities which these balsamic rosemary glazed meatballs and roasted garlic potato bites provide.
I hope to throw some more delicious holiday appetizer recipes at you before the new year, soon we’ll be embarking across the province to visit my parents. I’ll be pumping out loads of healthy treats and holiday favourites so stay tuned and sign up for my newsletter to not miss a post.
- Meatballs- 1 lb. ground bison (you could also use beef)
- ¼ C white onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 egg
- Potatoes- 1 lb. little potatoes, I mixed blue and yellow potatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs fat of choice, I used bacon fat
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, removed from stalk
- Glaze- 1 C balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp raw cane sugar (optional- speeds up the process)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, left intact
- 20-25 little skewers or toothpicks
- Heat oven to 400F
- Pre-boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes. Drain well and add to a baking dish or cast iron skillet with your fat, garlic, rosemary and salt. Roast for 40 minutes turning halfway for evenly golden potatoes.
- For the meatballs combine ground meat with onion, garlic, salt, pepper,rosemary and egg. Form into little 1½ inch balls about 1 Tbs worth of mixture and place on a lined baking sheet with a metal rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- For the glaze add balsamic vinegar, sugar and rosemary and let it reduce until it reaches a syrup like consistency, about 20 minutes. Pour the glaze over top of the meatballs.
- Skewer a roasted potato and a meatball and serve with extra balsamic.
