So in our hometowns, college towns, or whatever town you have spent a significant time of your life in, you fall into a routine of visiting the same comforting restaurants. I went to Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. One of those for me was So Long Saloon.

You also have those dishes that you ALWAYS get. For me, and the rest of Manhattan, that was the Raspberry Black Bean Dip. Now you can have it at home as a meal with my Raspberry Chipotle Black Bean Meatball Skillet!

What is Raspberry Black Bean dip?

Um, only the worlds best appetizer. It's a savory, creamy, sweet, spicy combination that you dip tortilla chips into while you sip a beer. It's served in a skillet and utterly addicting. I've paired this unreal appetizer with ground beef meatballs and WOW. It'll be your new favorite meal.

Making the Perfect Meatball

The perfect meatball to me is juicy, expertly seasoned, and has the perfect sear on it. I achieve this in 3 steps!

Grate the onion into the meatball. You get very fine pieces along with the juices of the onion, which contribute to a very juicy meatball!
1 teaspoon of salt for ever 1 lb of ground beef. This has always been my go-to salt measurement and has never failed me. It leaves room to have a savory sauce or toppings to your meat without being TOO salty.
Sear your meatballs before you bake them in the skillet. Go the extra 5 minutes to sear the meatballs on all sides before popping them into the oven. That crispy outer edge adds so much flavor!

I've been on a bit of a meatball craze lately...maybe it's the fact that they can be a great toddler meal, appetizer, or full meal! Check out my Mexican Meatballs or my Bruschetta Meatballs.

Ingredients For the Perfect Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (you could totally use pork, chicken, or turkey too)
4 tablespoons Raspberry Chipotle Jelly. I loved using one from Little Black Box Baked Goods
½ onion, grated
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 cubes
1 can black beans, drained

Instructions How To Make Meatballs

In a mixing bowl combine ground beef, onion, salt, pepper and form into meatballs
Heat a large skillet on medium - high heat and sear the meatballs on each side for about 2 minutes.
Pour the can of drained black beans into the skillet around the meatballs
Place the cubes of cream cheese around the meatballs
Spoon a bit of the raspberry jelly on top of the meatballs
Put skillet into the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

You can check out other ways to use jelly and jam in this blog post!

📖 Recipe