slow cooker-Barbecued Meatballs

We like to use this recipe for meatball subs/sliders topped with coleslaw.  Or you can stick a cocktail toothpick in for o'duerves style.  You can short cut and buy frozen already made meatballs, but I find they taste like hotdog meat-yuck!  Meatballs made from scratch are much better.
The soy sauce gives the barbecue sauce a dark rich color.  It's also great with cocktail franks*(see below). 

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 1/3 cups kethup, divided
3 tablespoons seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Tobasco sauce (opt.)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine ground beef, pork, 1/3 cup ketchup, bread crumbs, egg, onion flakes, garlic salt and black pepper in medium bowl.  Mix lightly but thoroughly.
• Shape into 1-inch meatballs and place in two 15x10-inch jelly roll pans or shallow roasting pans.
• Bake 18 minutes or until browned.
• Transfer meatballs to slow cooker.
• Mix remaining 1 cup ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar and tobasco sauce in a clean medium bowl-(don't use same bowl that the raw meat was in). Pour over meatballs. 
• Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours.  Makes about 4 dozen meatballs

Cocktail Franks Variation:* (I recommend to use Hillshire Farm "beef" Lil' Smokies-they taste better than other brands I've tried)

• Arrange 2-16 oz. packages of Lil' Smokies in slow cooker.
• Combine 1 cup ketchup, with sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar and tobasco sauce; pour over franks and cook on LOW 4 hours. 

Serve with cocktail toothpicks