Aunt Jill's Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is a recipe my Aunt Jill gave me and has been a favorite ever since. (This recipe may be a little "Well, duh! I know how to boil water!" But my Aunt made this recipe for me when I was still learning how to cook. And boy did it help! She lovingly wrote out an entire box of recipes for me that I still use as staples in my meal menu.)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients
3 to 4 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 lb. ground beef formed into meatballs and cooked (See recipe for Spinach Meatballs)
2 to 3 cups sweet and sour sauce (see recipe)
1 lg. can chunk pineapple (save juice, you will use it)

Cook rice first. While it is cooking, prepare meatballs and cook them. In large pot prepare sweet and sour sauce reserving pineapple chunks. Put cooked meatballs into pot with sauce. Stir gently to coat meatballs and mix in pineapple. Serve over cooked rice. Serves 6.

Spinach Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, drained well
1/2 med. onion, finely chopped (I substitute dried onion flakes to taste, not sure how much I use)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 to 1-1/2 lb. ground beef
2 to 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 slices dry bread, in crumbs (Veggie Thin crackers are also yummy!)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Blend together well and form into half dollar sized balls. Coat cookie sheet with tin foil. Place meatballs on cookie sheet and place on highest oven rack. Broil on "low broil" setting and turn once. (Watch carefully so they don't over-cook.) Or bake at 500 degrees F in center of oven for about 10 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups water and/or pineapple juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
4 heaping Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in cold water (about 1/3 cup water)

Bring water and/or juice to a boil. Add vinegar, sugar, and ketchup. Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture returns to a low boil. Pour some cornstarch mixture into liquid a little at a time and stir constantly. Continue adding cornstarch mixture until sauce thickens to right consistency. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to use.

*At Chinese restaurants, I also see them include sweet bell peppers with the pineapple. This is very good but my tummy doesn't like peppers. But I thought I'd throw the suggestion out there.