Crockpot Mississippi Meatballs (Print View)

Slow-cooked meatballs combine ranch, au jus, butter, and pepperoncini for a flavorful, hearty dish.

# Components:

→ Meatballs

01 - 1 (26-ounce) bag frozen meatballs

→ Seasonings

02 - 1 packet au jus gravy mix
03 - 1 packet ranch seasoning mix

→ Peppers

04 - 1 (16-ounce) jar sliced pepperoncini peppers with juice

→ Liquids and Fats

05 - ½ cup water
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, diced

# Directions:

01 - Place frozen meatballs in the bottom of a slow cooker.
02 - Sprinkle au jus gravy mix and ranch seasoning mix evenly over the meatballs.
03 - Pour the entire jar of sliced pepperoncini peppers with juice over the meatballs.
04 - Add ½ cup water to the slow cooker.
05 - Scatter diced butter over the top of the mixture.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is well combined.
07 - Serve hot as an appetizer with toothpicks, or over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice as a main dish.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really just opened a jar and walked away.
  • Works equally well as an elegant appetizer or a soul-warming main dish over whatever starch you have on hand.
  • The tangy-savory-buttery combination hits every craving at once.
02 -
  • Resist the urge to add more liquid at the start—the meatballs release moisture as they cook, and what seems dry now will be perfectly saucy in an hour.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, double the recipe and use a larger slow cooker; these scale beautifully and actually improve slightly when made in bigger batches.
03 -
  • For an extra layer of flavor, brown the meatballs in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker—it takes 5 extra minutes but deepens the finished dish noticeably.
  • If you're making this ahead, cook it, let it cool completely, then refrigerate; it reheats beautifully on LOW in the slow cooker or gently on the stovetop, and the flavors actually marry and intensify overnight.
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