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Easy Slow Cooker Mummy Meatballs for a Crowd

Easy Slow Cooker Mummy Meatballs - featured image
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These playful mummy meatballs are wrapped in breadstick dough with olive eyes, slow-cooked in marinara sauce for a savory, crowd-pleasing Halloween party appetizer that kids and adults love.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs frozen homestyle meatballs
  • 2 cans (11 oz each) refrigerated breadstick dough
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 small can sliced black olives
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Meatballs: If using frozen meatballs, let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so they’re not rock-hard when you start wrapping. If using homemade meatballs, make sure they’re fully cooked and cooled slightly.
  2. Cut the Dough Strips: Unroll one can of breadstick dough and separate it along the perforations. You’ll have 8 breadsticks. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each breadstick lengthwise into three thin strips. You should end up with 24 strips per can. Repeat with the second can for a total of 48 strips.
  3. Wrap the Meatballs: Take one strip of dough and wrap it around a meatball, starting at the top and working your way down. Leave a small gap at the top where the eyes will go. The dough should overlap slightly as you wrap, creating a bandaged look. Don’t wrap too tightly—the dough needs room to puff up as it cooks. Place the wrapped meatball seam-side down on a plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining meatballs and dough strips.
  4. Add the Eyes: Before placing the meatballs in the slow cooker, gently press two olive slices into the exposed gap at the top of each mummy. The olives should sit flat against the meatball, with the dough slightly overlapping the edges to hold them in place.
  5. Layer in the Slow Cooker: Pour about ½ cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around. Arrange the wrapped meatballs in a single layer, standing them upright so the eyes face upward. If you need to stack a second layer, offset them like bricks so the dough doesn’t get crushed. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the top, but try to avoid pouring directly onto the dough strips—focus the sauce around the base of each meatball.
  6. Cook on Low: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 to 2½ hours. The dough should be puffed, cooked through, and slightly golden where it touches the sauce. The meatballs should be heated through and the sauce bubbly.
  7. Finish and Serve: Once the meatballs are cooked, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if using. Let them rest in the slow cooker on warm for 10 minutes before serving. Serve directly from the slow cooker with toothpicks on the side.

Notes

Don’t wrap the dough too tightly or it may split. Avoid overcrowding the slow cooker for best puffing. For best texture, use a ceramic slow cooker insert. Check dough at 2-hour mark to avoid gumminess. Can prep wrapped meatballs a day ahead and refrigerate without sauce.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween, mummy meatballs, slow cooker, party appetizer, meatballs, breadstick dough, Halloween recipe

Find it online: https://milaspoon.com/easy-slow-cooker-mummy-meatballs-for-a-crowd/