You Only Need 2 Ingredients For Comforting Crock-Pot Meatballs

Frozen meatballs are one of the best convenience foods to keep in your kitchen, especially something high quality like Kirkland Signature Italian-style frozen meatballs for quick, easy, flavorful dinners. They're pre-seasoned, stay fresh in the freezer long-term, and come pre-portioned to easily measure out exactly what you need for things like meatball subs, or as a clever hack to make super easy and delicious pasta bakes. To make things even easier, frozen meatballs and barbecue sauce are also a match made in heaven for your slow cooker.

Most busy home cooks already know slow cookers are a godsend for making hearty, homey dishes like slow cooker pulled pork that come together in minutes and require virtually no attention until they're done just in time for dinner. You don't even have to thaw the meatballs first, as the slow cooker will do that for you as they warm and cook together, soaking up the sauce.

The ratio of barbecue sauce to meatballs is about ½ ounce sauce per ounce of meatballs. So, if you have a 16-ounce bag of meatballs, you'll need about 8 ounces of sauce. You can use a bit more if your meatballs look undersauced, but this is a good ratio to start with. To make sure your meatballs are fully thawed, cooked, and saturated with smoky flavor, cook them on low for about 4 hours, or on high for about 2 ½ hours.

The key to getting perfectly tender meatballs and beautifully concentrated sauce is timing. Since the cooking time for this recipe is shorter than many other slow cooker recipes (which average around 8 hours for a vat of chili or soup), this may be best as a fuss-free dinner on the weekends when you'll be home to put it together at the right time. For those who work from home, it's also fairly easy to slip away from your computer for a few minutes to put dinner together so it'll be ready when you've answered your last email.

Once hot and ready, there are lots of things you can do with these tangy, meaty little balls of deliciousness. A barbecue meatball sub would be incredible with a toasted garlic bread bun, especially lined with smoked Gouda or shredded mozzarella cheese. Enjoy it with a crisp salad topped with chopped apples, toasted walnuts, and a honey-lemon vinaigrette dressing.

For a true convenience meal, you could also pop bags of steamable rice and broccoli in the microwave, stir them together and throw the meatballs on top, drizzling everything with an extra spoonful of barbecue sauce. Another option is to heat up some instant mashed potatoes and frozen corn, smother them in aged white cheddar cheese, and spoon the meatballs on top. This is a hearty meal that's equal parts indulgent and comforting, and makes delicious leftovers.