Bison Meatballs, Grape-Chipotle Glaze

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment. Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together in a large bowl and let them soak 5 minutes into a thick paste.
2. Mix in the egg, onion, garlic, Parmesan, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, paprika and parsley. Add the bison and mix with your hands for about 30 seconds, only until combined.
3. Scoop heaped tablespoons (about 1 oz each) and roll into balls, setting them 1 inch apart on the pans. You should get about 48.
4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, swapping and rotating the pans halfway, until browned and a thermometer in the center of one reads 160°F.
5. While they bake, simmer the jelly, ketchup, vinegar and chipotle powder in a 12-inch deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring until the jelly melts and the glaze coats a spoon.
6. Add the baked meatballs to the glaze and turn gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until lacquered, then hold them in a slow cooker on warm with toothpicks alongside.
7. To make ahead, bake the meatballs up to 2 days ahead (or freeze up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator), then simmer them in the glaze over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, until they read 165°F.

Food safety. Keep the slow cooker at 140°F or above and discard meatballs held more than 2 hours.