Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

In the morning, I go into third grade math and co-teach with another teacher. I really love the atmosphere this teacher has started to create with her classroom. She does not have an easy bunch of students, but has started to really build a sense of community. At the start of the day, we all join together in a circle. We then go around the circle and express one thing we (children and adults) are grateful for without repeating the previous day's gratitude. After we express our gratitude, we go around the circle again and say "good morning" and give each other a high five. It's just such a great way to start the day!

After I made these lovely meatballs, I told the kids I was really happy that I tried a new recipe and it turned out. They of course giggled knowing that I do have this blog and love creating new recipes. They then asked about what I had made. When I told them it was a meatball version of hot wings, they all got pretty excited.

I guess kids like hot wings. If your kiddos are not a fan of the spiciness, you could easily substitute a milder hot wing sauce. I happen to love Cookie's Hot Wing Sauce. It has the perfect amount of zing without setting your mouth on fire. I used a cookie scoop to make my meatballs for ease and portion control. If you do not have a cookie scoop, I suggest using a soup spoon.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

1 lb. ground chicken breast

1 package dried gluten-free ranch dressing mix

1 teaspoon dried chopped onion

1/2 cup hot wing sauce

1 tablespoon light butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, fold together the ground chicken, ranch, and onion until combine. Using a cookie scoop or soup spoon, scoop out approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons of meat into your hands. Roll into a ball and place on the parchment paper. Repeat until you have used all of the meat mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the meatballs begin to turn very lightly brown on the outside. Remove from the oven. Place in a casserole dish. Pour the hot wing sauce and butter over the meatballs. Toss to coat and serve.