Mini Masterpieces: BBQ Ranch Turkey Meatball Sliders

The last time we had a party at our house, poor Ben was stuck behind the grill for hours, trying to keep up with the food demand for burgers and hot dogs . . . and really, a party isn’t any fun if you can’t be with everyone else, enjoying it, right?!

Now that the Summer season of picnics and parties is right around the corner, I’ve been thinking of alternative dishes we can serve to guests that are quick and easy to prep, and will help cut down on the grill-time.

So, when DataRank challenged me to come up with a unique recipe using KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce, I made an appetizer that will keep your guests happy and full – bbq ranch turkey meatball sliders!

These meatball sliders are packed with flavor – zesty Ranch seasoning paired with the smokey sweet barbecue flavor is a grand slam in my book. Plus, they only take a couple of minutes to throw together with only five ingredients. And, you could make the meatballs a day ahead of time and assemble for an even easier party time!

To start, combine your meat with Ranch seasoning, KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce, and your binders (eggs and breadcrumbs). Mix well with your hands – always the messy, fun part! Then scoop, roll, and bake!

I found that using my cookie scoop made the perfect size meatball for the sliders. You don’t want the meatballs being too big, or they’ll fall apart. They’re supposed to be minis, anyway!

Because everything’s better with barbecue sauce, I drizzled more on each meatball before baking them in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

While the meatballs were baking, I quartered some slider rolls, making the perfect bite sized buns for my meatballs.

I ended up sending Ben to the store for fancy toothpicks and when he couldn’t find them, he sent me a photo of these cool Bamboo forks and we rolled with it. They ended up doing an awesome job of holding the sliders together and seriously – aren’t they super cool looking?

Once the meatballs are cool enough to handle safely, assemble your sliders and serve to your hungry guests! You could always add other toppings, like lettuce, tomato, or coleslaw, or ranch and barbecue dipping sauces.