Fall Into This Apple Sage Pork Meatballs Recipe With Creamy Sweet Potatoes (9 Ingredients, 30 Minutes) by Donna John

Fall-tastic. Yep, that's officially a word. If you want to welcome fall in a culinary way, you need to try this delicious pork meatballs recipe with sage and apple inspired by The Pioneer Woman (aka Ree Drummond). This easy meatball dinner recipe was like fall in a bowl (or on a plate).

This 30-minute  pork dinner has minimal prep and resulted in one of the best meals we've sat down to in a while – and I've made lots of great recipes lately. The ground pork meatballs are juicy, tender and seasoned to the gods. The aromatic sage, allspice and sweet apple really complement the pork, and when they meatballs are sitting on a bed of creamy mashed sweet potatoes, the combination is like fall leaves on a cool, crisp day. Perfection. You have got to try this recipe!

To make these high-protein pork meatballs you will need ground pork, panko breadcrumbs, a fresh apple, ground sage, fresh garlic, ground allspice, salt and black pepper. For the whipped sweet potatoes you also need fresh sweet potatoes (check out the health benefits of sweet potatoes), heavy cream and butter.

How Ree Does It (and How I Did It)

• Ree and I both used a Granny Smith apple, but use your favorite.

• Ree used 1 tablespoon of fresh minced sage leaves in her meatballs. I didn't have fresh sage so I used 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) ground sage instead.

• Ree called for an egg in her meatballs. Honestly, I forgot to put it in and remembered after they were rolled and on the baking sheet. The meatballs were delicious without the egg, but you can add it if desired.

• Ree made crispy sage leaves to garnish the dish with, but I skipped this step. If you want to make crispy sage, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it stops foaming. Add the sage and cook until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove to a plate.

• In her meatballs, Ree uses 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. I simply measured with my heart. 

This fall-inspired, high-protein dinner can be a complete meal, or serve it with an additional vegetable or your favorite side dishes. I served mine with fresh end-of-summer zucchini.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 an apple, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground sage (I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup water 
• 1 tablespoon butter

Here's how to make it: 

1. Put the sweet potatoes, water, heavy cream, butter and salt and pepper, to taste, into a saucepot. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Mash the potatoes. If they are still too loose, continue to cook until they reach your desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
   
   
2. Combine all the meatballs ingredients in a mixing bowl. (For a gluten-free dinner, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.)
   
3. Using clean hands, mix until combined.
   
4. Shape into meatballs (about 2 tablespoons per meatball) and place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
   
5. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. (If you want browner meatballs, you can turn the broiler on for a minute or two. I simply flipped my meatballs a couple minutes before they were done, and the bottom was a beautiful golden brown.)
   
6. Serve the meatballs on a bed of sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with extra ground sage, if desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave.
   

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