Recipe Background
Introducing Husband's Favorite Meatballs! In fact, they might also just be Husband's Favorite Meal! Tender, spicy, beefy, Tex-Mex-inspired meatballs in a red chile sauce would be amazing enough on their own (and they are amazing, no question there), but then they deliver even more! Fluffy rice, roasted sweet potatoes, and sweet corn allow your tastebuds to enjoy added textures and flavors that pair perfectly with the meaty bounty! Husband's Favorite Meatballs will become your favorite, too!
Introducing Husband's Favorite Meatballs! In fact, they might also just be Husband's Favorite Meal! Tender, spicy, beefy, Tex-Mex-inspired meatballs in a red chile sauce would be amazing enough on their own (and they are amazing, no question there), but then they deliver even more! Fluffy rice, roasted sweet potatoes, and sweet corn allow your tastebuds to enjoy added textures and flavors that pair perfectly with the meaty bounty! Husband's Favorite Meatballs will become your favorite, too!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 cup white onion coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves firmly packed, stems removed
- 1/2 cup tortilla chips finely crushed
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
For the red chile sauce:
- 2 (10-ounce) cans red chile enchilada sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sugar
For the roasted sweet potatoes and corn:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 ears sweet corn
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
For serving:
- 2 cups long grain white rice cooked
- sour cream to taste
- cilantro chopped, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the broiler with the oven rack set 5 inches from the heat source.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the poblano pepper on the prepared baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until blistered, about 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer the pepper to a resealable plastic storage bag.
- Seal the bag and let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat it with nonstick spray.
- Using a paper towel, peel the poblano skin; discard the seeds and the stem from the poblano.
- Add the roasted poblano, the onion, the garlic, and 1/2 cup of the cilantro to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse the mixture in the processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture forms a paste-like consistency.
- Add the crushed tortilla chips and the milk to a large bowl and let stand until the chips soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the eggs, the chili powder, the cumin, the smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the poblano mixture into the milk mixture.
- Fold in the beef and mix with your clean hands until just combined.
- Shape the meat mixture into about 30 meatballs, using about 2 tablespoonfuls per meatball, and place them on the prepared rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake until browned, about 12 minutes.
- Add the enchilada sauce, the chicken broth, and the sugar to a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to the pot.
- Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the meatballs sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
- Cut the corn kernels from the cobs.
- Scatter the sweet potato cubes on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the olive oil.
- Roast the sweet potatoes, tossing every 15 minutes, until softened, about 30 minutes.
- In the last 5 minutes of roasting time, add the corn to the sweet potatoes. Season with the salt.
- When they are done roasting, taste the sweet potatoes and the corn for seasoning and add more of the salt, as desired.
- Plate the meatballs and the sauce over the rice and pair with the roasted sweet potatoes and corn.
- Garnish with the sour cream and the extra cilantro and serve.
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