This Vintage 3-Ingredient Meal Is An Easy Way To Elevate Store-Bought Meatballs

In many cases, we must admit that store-bought just doesn't stack up to homemade. But sometimes schedules are too demanding, and, fortunately for everyone, there are plenty of ways to elevate store-bought foods and make them taste homemade. Why not go retro while you're at it? 

In this vintage three-ingredient meatball meal from the 1960s, the core ingredients you need are meatballs, grape jelly, and chili sauce. It sounds like an odd combination, but give it a try and you may find that it's delectable. To make grape jelly meatballs, combine a two-pound package of frozen meatballs, about half a cup of chili sauce, and three-quarters of a cup of jelly in a slow cooker on low for three to four hours. Once they're done, you'll have a sweet and savory appetizer fit for most any occasion. And, no, when combined with the hearty, seasoned meatballs, this dish is not going to remind you of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Instead, its balance of savory and sweet, as well as rich and acidic, will seriously please your taste buds.

During the cooking process, a lot of the liquid will evaporate, leaving you with a nice, thick sauce that gives the meal a lovely texture. If you find the sauce too thin, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Slurry is the key to thickening any sauce, from pasta sauce to your grape jelly and chili combo. Simply mix together equal parts cornstarch and water and stir it into the sauce until it's at your desired thickness.

This recipe is highly flexible, so most any combination of sweet and savory sauces can turn your store-bought meatballs into an elevated homemade-tasting meal. For example, if you're not a big fan of spice, use ketchup or mustard in place of chili sauce. A high-quality BBQ sauce like those beloved by celeb chefs is another great option if you want to add complexity and depth to your meatball dish. Feel like going a step further? Bobby Flay recommends upgrading BBQ sauce with Worcestershire, chipotle, and lime, a fantastic combo that will take your meatballs to the next level.

We strongly recommend you keep the fruit component, as it adds a pleasant sweetness to balance out the rich meatballs. But if you're not interested in grape jelly, you can use other types like strawberry or a tart raspberry. Heck, don't be afraid to crack open that jar of apricot preserves you've been wanting to try. Even marmalade has a place in this recipe if you want to add an extra citrus kick to your meatballs.

If you want a Swedish-inspired dish that tastes like you just came home from a trip to IKEA, use lingonberry or cranberry sauce in place of grape jelly. IKEA sells oodles of Swedish meatballs every year paired with its delicious lingonberry sauce. That way, you can have a taste of Sweden at home without having to make the trip through IKEA's labyrinthine halls.