Toss frozen meatballs in the slow cooker and 3 other ingredients for a weeknight dinner so delicious your kids will be begging for more.

On busy weeknights out here in the country, there’s nothing better than being able to toss a few things in the slow cooker and let it hum along while you get on with real life. These 4-ingredient honey sriracha pork meatballs are my modern twist on the sweet-and-savory party meatballs I grew up with in the Midwest. Instead of grape jelly and chili sauce, we lean on honey and sriracha for a gentle, family-friendly heat and sticky glaze that clings to every meatball. You start with a bag of frozen pork meatballs, add just three more pantry ingredients, and by suppertime you’ve got a big pot of saucy meatballs that kids and grandkids always seem to come back for “just one more.”

Serve these honey sriracha pork meatballs right in a shallow bowl over hot white rice, buttered egg noodles, or mashed potatoes so all that sweet-and-spicy sauce has something to soak into. A simple side of steamed green beans, broccoli, or a tossed salad keeps things balanced. If you’re feeding a crowd for a game night, set the slow cooker on warm with toothpicks nearby and put out a platter of sliced baguette or soft dinner rolls so folks can make little meatball sandwiches. A crisp coleslaw or carrot salad on the side adds a nice cool crunch against the warm, sticky glaze.

Servings: 6

1 (24–28 ounce) bag frozen fully cooked pork meatballs

Place the frozen pork meatballs in an even layer on the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. They can touch and pile slightly, but try to spread them out so the sauce can reach them.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the honey, sriracha sauce, and soy sauce until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be pourable and glossy.

Pour the honey sriracha mixture evenly over the frozen meatballs, using a spatula to scrape out every bit of sauce. Gently stir to coat as many meatballs as you can without splashing, then smooth them back into an even layer.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, or on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Once hot, gently stir the meatballs again so they are all well coated in the thickened sauce. If the sauce seems a bit thin, leave the lid off and cook on HIGH for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until it clings nicely to the meatballs.

Switch the slow cooker to the WARM setting for serving. Give the meatballs a final stir just before bringing them to the table, and serve them with extra sauce spooned over the top.

If your family prefers a milder sauce, cut the sriracha back to 3 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of ketchup to keep the sauce full and glossy without so much heat. For older kids or spice-lovers, you can bump the sriracha up to 1/2 cup or add a pinch of red pepper flakes. If you only have regular (not low-sodium) soy sauce, taste the sauce before pouring it over the meatballs and add a tablespoon of water to thin and mellow the saltiness if needed. This recipe works with almost any fully cooked frozen meatball—pork, turkey, chicken, or beef—so use what you have on hand and adjust the cook time slightly if the meatballs are very large. To make the dish feel more “Midwestern potluck,” stir in a tablespoon of yellow mustard or a spoonful of brown sugar for extra tangy sweetness. Leftovers reheat nicely on the stovetop with a splash of water, or you can tuck them into hoagie rolls with a slice of cheese for quick meatball subs the next day.