Crockpot Mississippi meatballs are a make-ahead dish, perfect for Sunday supper. If you have ever had Mississippi Pot Roast, this is the meatball version with similar flavors. Tender meatballs that are swimming in a flavorful gravy make for a perfect supper.
Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles, and you’ve got a happy family. The meatballs are baked, then placed in a crockpot along with the gravy ingredients, press start, and go about your day. In two hours, you will have a hearty meal ready to serve. I am confident that this recipe will be a family favorite. Enjoy!
I love these “Mississippi” recipes. I hope you’ll try the recipe that started it all, Mississippi pot roast. I hope you’ll also check out our instant pot Mississippi pot roast, Mississippi chicken, and loosely related but wonderfully delicious, Mississippi mud potatoes!
CROCKPOT MISSISSIPPI MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS
- White sandwich bread: This is for the panade. Mixed with milk, this acts as a binder for the ground beef. It also makes the meatball tender and moist.
- Milk: Whole milk for the panade.
- Ground beef: I suggest 80/20 ground beef. The higher fat content helps make a moist meatball.
- Yellow onion: This mild onion is perfect for a nice meatball.
- Parmesan cheese: Nutty and salty flavor with a little binding effect.
- Eggs: Large eggs.
- Worcestershire sauce: This magic sauce adds a meaty umami flavor.
- Garlic: Must have garlic! Please use fresh garlic and not the stuff that comes pre-minced in that weird liquid!
- Salt + Black pepper: Table salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Ranch dressing mix: An essential flavor for this recipe.
- Au Jus mix: Adds meaty flavor to the gravy.
- Beef broth: More beef flavor for the gravy.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the gravy.
- Pepperoncini peppers and juice: This is another essential flavor for this recipe. It adds a briny and spiciness to the gravy. So good!
TIPS
- Moist + Tender: The trick to achieving a moist and tender meatball is not to overmix the meat mixture. The panade (bread and milk mixture)will soak up the moisture from the other ingredients. The result will be a very happy family!
- The Gravy: The gravy has mild heat. For those who don’t like any spice, omit the pepperoncini juice. Then just add fewer pepperoncini, say four or less instead.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Once cooked and cooled, your Crockpot Mississippi meatballs will last up to four days in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! The best way to freeze this dish is to fully cook it first. Once cooled, store in a freezer-safe container. Don’t forget to label, and date and freeze for up to three months.
- Make-Ahead: My Mississippi pot roast meatballs can be made ahead. Just reheat.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
Serve this with mashed potatoes, make-ahead mashed potatoes, or butter noodles.
I like a fresh crispy salad alongside this dish. We have lots to choose from. It’s great with either our strawberry salad or strawberry spinach salad (each has it’s own easy homemade dressings and unique delicious ingredients!).
Our carrot salad is a perennial favorite of young and old alike. Our 1905 salad is loaded with Swiss cheese, ham, tomatoes, and Spanish olives. Everyone loves this salad!
HOW TO MAKE MISSISSIPPI MEATBALLS
- In a bowl, mix milk and bread. Mash.
- Add ground beef, onion, Parmesan, eggs, Worcestershire, garlic, salt and pepper, and Ranch dressing mix. Combine well.
- Form the mixture into meatballs. Arrange it on a baking sheet and bake.
- In the crockpot, add beef broth,
- Add the ranch dressing mix and Au Jus gravy.
- Mix.
- Add the meatballs to the crockpot.
- Arrange butter slices and pepperoncini peppers over meatballs. Cover and cook on low.
- Transfer the meatballs to a platter. Add the cornstarch slurry to the gravy. Simmer until it thickens. Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
MORE MEATBALL RECIPES
- BBQ Meatballs
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Cranberry Meatballs
- Mexican Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Meatball Stew
- Ham Balls
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Greek Turkey Meatballs
- Meatballs and Gravy
MORE MISSISSIPPI DELICIOUSNESS
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs
Our Crockpot Mississippi meatballs follow the delicious Mississippi recipes tradition. Moist tender meatballs in a brothy gravy flavored with pepperoncini, ranch dressing and au jus gravy.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
- 3 tablespoons grated yellow onion
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix, Divided
- 1 (1-ounce) envelope au jus gravy mix
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup butter, thinly sliced
- 8 whole pepperoncini peppers
- 1 tablespoon liquid from pepperoncini peppers
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, sliced
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons, plus more if needed cornstarch
Serve With
- prepared mashed potatoes or buttered noodles
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 475°F (246°C). Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add milk (3/4 cup) and bread (4 slices) and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Mash.
- Add ground beef (2 pounds), grated onion (3 tablespoons), Parmesan (1/2 cup), eggs (2), Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon), garlic (2 teaspoons), salt (1/2 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix and combine well.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop out heaping scoops. Roll, and using gentle but firm pressure, compact the meatballs. You'll have 20-23 meatballs.
- Arrange meatballs on prepared baking sheets. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until well browned.
- Meanwhile, add beef broth (4 cups), the remaining dry ranch dressing mix, and Au Jus gravy (1 envelope) mix to a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk to combine.
- Transfer browned meatballs to the crockpot. Gently toss the meatballs to coat in broth. Arrange butter slices (1/2 cup) and pepperoncini peppers (8 whole) over meatballs.
- Cover and cook on LOW, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until meatballs are cooked through, about 2 hours. Stir in pepperoncini juice (1 tablespoon).
- Transfer meatballs and pepperoncini from crockpot to a platter AND cover with foil to keep warm. Pour liquid from crockpot into a saucepan. Over medium heat, simmer the liquid.
- In a small bowl, whisk cold water (1/4 cup) with cornstarch (3 tablespoons). Gradually stir into the saucepan, continuing to simmer while gently stirring continuously, to activate the thickening process. (Don't overcook or stir/whisk too vigorously or the mixture can break down cornstarch and it won't thicken.) Simmer until you achieve the desired thickness. If you want the sauce thicker, you can continue to simmer and allow some of the liquid to evaporate or you can make more cornstarch slurry and repeat the process.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Moist + Tender: The trick to achieving a moist and tender meatball is not to overmix the meat mixture. The panade (bread and milk mixture)will soak up the moisture from the other ingredients. The result will be a very happy family!
- The Gravy: The gravy has mild heat. For those who don’t like any spice, omit the pepperoncini juice. Then just add fewer pepperoncini, say four or less instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 851kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 2381mg | Potassium: 887mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1173IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 4mg
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