Mississippi Meatballs

What if you next party appetizer was as easy as dumping a bag into a crockpot? Our incredible savory Mississippi Meatballs recipe is the perfect party food or dinner and we’ve made it so easy! Convenience mixes and three to five hours later — dinner is served.

It doesn’t get any better than a dump recipe that goes straight into the slow cooker before you head out to work or the pool. You won’t be heating up your house, you won’t have to make decisions, and dinner will be ready when you walk in the door!

We actually have a huge collection of dump recipes for you to prep and put in your freezer. If you are looking for a table full of meatballs at your next party, be sure to check out our BBQ beer meatballs and our Salisbury Steak Meatballs for a nice variety. If you want instant access to everything we have, be sure to check out the Freezer Meals 101 Club.

Mississippi Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb. meatballs, frozen, pre-cooked
• 2 tsp. dry Italian dressing mix
• 3 Tbsp. dry ranch seasoning
• 1 au jus gravy packet
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup juice from pepperoncini peppers
• 8-10 pepperoncini peppers, stems removed

How to Make Mississippi Meatballs

Assembly Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a large freezer bag.
2. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw enough to empty bag contents into slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Cook for 5-6 minutes on high pressure.
2. Natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release.

Can I used Banana Peppers instead of Pepperoncini?

Pepperoncini are pickled, so they have a slightly sour flavor and also tend to have a little more heat than banana peppers. That being said, they are considered a good substitute for pepperoncini and hold their shape better when cooked so if that’s what you have on hand use it without hesitation. If you miss the pickled flavor, you’ll know what to look for at the grocery store the next time you are stocking up.

What Kind of Gravy Packet Should I Get?

I recommend a brown gravy or beef gravy for this recipe, since it includes beef (in the meatballs) and beef broth as two primary ingredients. You could also use a jar of pre-made gravy if you want the meatballs to be more saucy.

Which meatballs should I get?

I recommend the “country” meatballs or the “homemade” meatballs and not the “Italian” meatballs, which have interesting seasoning that can detract from recipes. Meatballs will go on sale around the holidays when people are making appetizers and it is a great time to stock up. You can also make your own homemade meatballs. Bake them and cool them before adding to your freezer bag.

Mississippi Meatballs Recipe Ideas

Italian Dressing seasoning, Ranch Dressing seasoning, and the Brown Gravy mix can often be bought in bulk at your local warehouse store on the spice aisle, making it really easy to bulk prep this recipe. One brown gravy packet is about four tablespoons of the powder.

On the day of serving, you could saute onions and peppers to add more visual interest and flavor to this dish.

Red pepper flakes are an easy to way to increase the heat level. You can also look for pepperoncini that are labeled hot or medium instead of plain or mild. A little green hot sauce is also a good addition .

How do I Store Mississippi Meatballs?

Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for two or three days. I like to put them in individual containers over rice so they are ready for the microwave at work. This makes packing lunches easy in the morning! You can’t freeze them since they’ve already been cooked and frozen once.

What to Serve with Mississippi Meatballs

Serve these at a party with toothpicks for an easy appetizer. We like to serve them over rice for dinner, but you could also serve them over mashed potatoes. Make them into sandwiches on a sub bun with your favorite cheese and toppings. Serve alongside green veggies or an easy bagged salad for a meal that comes together in minutes.