Bloody Mary Meatballs with Spicy Pickled Vegetables

Bloody Mary Meatballs with Spicy Pickled Vegetables

While in New Orleans last month, I had one of the best Bloody Mary cocktails I’ve had in a long time.  In traditional NOLO style, the bartender mixed in a hearty dose of horseradish, spicy cajun seasonings and zesty hot sauce.  He even served it with two spicy-hot pickled green beans.  It was delicious!  So much so, here I am weeks later still thinking about it!

So in honor of that wonderful cocktail, I decided to create these yummy Bloody Mary meatballs. The creamy horseradish, rich tomato paste and zesty, hot sauce, infuse the meatballs with a spicy, flavorful kick.

And when it comes to pickling vegetables, you can play around with just about any vegetable and seasoning combination you like.  I added jalapeño and crushed red pepper seeds to my version, just to give the veggies a tad bit more heat.

When I closed my eyes and took a bite of one of the meatballs along with the vegetables, I almost felt like I was in New Orleans again!  Delicious!

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