Apple, Cheddar and Turkey Meatballs

This recipe is courtesy of one of my personal heroes - The Crockpot Lady - as part of her personal mission to use that oft-dust-collecting appliance every day for a whole year. My crockpot has already gotten more use in the last few months than it had in years, thanks to her fantastic ideas.

The flavors in this recipe evoke fall for me - apples in the trees, the promise of Thanksgiving turkey, warm comfort food on a cold day. I plan to make a double batch and freeze them!

Apple, Cheddar and Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:
--1 1/2 pound extra lean ground turkey
--1 egg
--1 tsp kosher salt (or regular salt)
--1 tsp ground black pepper
--1 tsp onion powder
--1 green apple, peeled and shredded
--1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
--1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries (I skipped these just because my guys won't eat them)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey with the ingredients. I used my hands.
Make golf-ball sized meatballs, and drop them into your crockpot. I used a 6 quart crockpot, but you could use any size over 3 quart, probably. These made enough meatballs to feed our family of 4 for dinner, with 8 leftover for breakfast and lunch.

If you have a large family, or would like to cook enough to freeze, double or triple the recipe. You can definitely stagger-stack the meatballs on top of each other.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 5-9---the cooking time will depend on how many meatballs are in the crock, and the size of your machine. The more full it is, the longer it will take to cook. I cooked 1 1/2 pounds of meatballs in a 6 quart for exactly 4 hours on high. I could have left them in a bit longer to brown the ones on the very top, but we were hungry.

Total cost:
Turkey - appx $3.00
Egg - $0.14
Green apple - $0.67
Cheese - $0.46
(I left out cranberries)

GRAND TOTAL: $4.27