Ham Balls in Orange Raisin Sauce

Ground ham and pork are combined for tasty ham balls, then they're served with a raisins sauce and easy canned sweet potatoes. This recipe was adapted from a vintage newspaper clipping.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

1 pound ground cooked ham
1 pound ground pork
2/3 cup packaged cracker meal
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 medium green bell peppers, sliced
6 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 cups orange juice
3/4 cup raisins
1 large can sweet potatoes, or cooked cut up sweet potatoes for about 6 people
1 navel orange, peeled and separated into sections

Instructions:

Combine ham, pork, cracker meal, milk, parsley, and pepper in a bowl; blend well. Shape mixture into about 18 to 24 balls. Place 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ham balls and brown on all sides. Remove ham balls from skillet with slotted spoon. Add remaining oil to skillet; add onion and green pepper and cook until onion is lightly browned. Pour off excess grease.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and allspice. Stir in orange juice until well blended. Pour orange juice mixture into the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until thickened and smooth. Add raisins and ham balls to the sauce; cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and orange sections; heat through. Ham balls with raisin sauce and sweet potatoes serves 6.