Slow Cooker BBQ Meatball Subs

There has to be more to a meatball's life than Marinara. I played around with a couple of pounds of ground turkey meat today to see if I could come up with something a little different. I browned the meatballs in a skillet and then added them to a slow cooker with a homemade bbq sauce. Don't be afraid to make your own bbq sauce, it's way easier than you'd think. You can make it as spicy, sweet or tangy as you like it and there are no perservatives like in the bottled kind.

Meatballs
2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, minced
2 tbsp Montreal Steak Sesoning
1 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp fresh minced parsely
3 eggs
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands until just combined. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop out and round the meat mixture into balls. Place them into the skillet and brown on all sides. Place the browned meatballs into the bottom of a slow cooker insert.

Cook's Notes- I know the apple butter may seem a bit strange, but it blances the acid and the sugars nicely. It also adds a nice fruity note to the sauce
BBQ Sauce
1 small onion minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup good red wine
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened apple butter
1 5.5 ounce can of tomato paste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup molasses

Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until heated through. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Split hoagie rolls and place 3-4 meatballs in each roll. Spoon more sauce over all and top with coleslaw if desired.