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I’ve got two words for you: cocktail hour. Truthfully, you could make an entire cocktail hour spread with this jar. At first bite, the one thing that came to mind was a fresh batch of my mom’s sweet-savory, delightfully kitschy cocktail meatballs (which typically have grape jelly + ketchup as co-stars), but the dregs of this jam jar make a perfect jumping off point for a cocktail, too — adorable serving glass included.
For the cocktail meatballs, all you have to do is mix together the liquidy components (ketchup and grape jam) in a slow-cooker. I use the following measurements:
- 1½ cups ketchup: Heinz is the end-all-be-all ketchup for every dish (in my opinion), but especially for the zing of vinegar and subtle sweetness that meld so well with the sweet-tart Bonne Maman spread.
- About half the jar (or ¾ cup) of BMCGFS: It’s our MVP, and the biggest star in my sky.
Once combined, add a (26-ounce) bag of your favorite frozen precooked meatballs. I like either Trader Joe’s turkey meatballs or cocktail meatballs for tinier bites. By all means, make your own, but no need to go full Italian nonna on the seasoning so it doesn’t compete with the fruitiness of the spread and the zippiness of the ketchup.
This recipe is easy to double, too, and setting it to high means you’re only about 90 minutes away from your new favorite last-minute appetizer. They’ll stay warm all party long, until that One Friend finally catches their Uber.
As for the cocktail, this tart, lightly floral grape spread would be at home with so many different liquors. Do you go for a grape margarita?! A frozen grape daiquiri?! A peanut butter and jelly martini?! You could practically make a case for buying a case of this spread for cocktail purposes alone.
For me, I love how herbal, aromatic gin is so at home with tarter flavors. So when you find yourself with about a tablespoon left of this grape spread in your jar, simply add two shots of your favorite gin and a squeeze of lemon, stir it up to combine, add ice, shake to chill, and then top it all off with a bit of soda water.
