Cloink Balls (Chicken and BACON) for a Pass a Plate Appetizer Party

 CLOINK... CLuck (Chicken) PLUS OINK (Pig) Equals CLOINK

This is a bit of a new presentation for a great little appetizer.

More commonly these beauties are made with a frozen meatball and wrapped in bacon.  Grillmasters love to serve these as appetizers at a back yard BBQ in the summer.  Here's a presentation idea that almost makes them classy enough for a Party!  Dig out your Grandmother's Deviled Egg Presentation plate.  The divots are a great way to add an individual dipping sauce without the need for a dipping bowl.  It may not be dinner at the Vanderbilt's, but it is just a tad classy looking.

Here's the story of the Cloink Ball -

A couple of weeks ago I posted the recipe for the IMPOSSIBLY EASY, INCREDIBLY CHEAP Legendary - MOINK BALLS.  You may remember that MOINK stands for Moo Plus Oink or Beef and Pork.  Beef meatballs wrapped in pork bacon.

When I wrote the post I started speculating about the other combinations...

There are dozens of variations, Chicken Meatballs (Cloinks?), Pork Meatballs (the Oink-Oink), add a piece of pineapple for the Hawaiian Moink or even Turkey Bacon with Vegetarian Meatballs (The Veggie Gobbler).
Sprinkle a spice rub on them for spicey balls, brush with the dipping sauce as a glaze during the last 10 minutes of cooking for that glowing wet look ball.

You can bake them, grill them or even use that toaster oven!

Here's the basic recipe... now just imagine your interpretation!

Well, here you go.  I was wandering around the store looking for bargains the other day.  I found a package of beautiful Artisan chicken brats.  They were fresh made a few days ago but the shelf life had dropped to "Must Cook within 2 Days"... So I did.

These taste much different than the Moink Ball.  While I love the Moink Ball, they do have a processed taste (remember, we used frozen pre-cooked meatballs).

These have a much more premium taste with the artisan sausage.  Definitely an upgrade.

 OK... Here's what I did...

CLOINK Balls
Bacon (Oink) Wrapped Chicken Sausage (Cluck)
Cluck and Oink - Cloink

Ingredients

• 6 Chicken Sausage Brats each brat cut into 4 pieces, each piece the width of a Bacon Slice (24 total "Balls"
• 12 Slices Bacon (Cut in Half)
• 24 Wooden Toothpicks
• FOR THE SAUCE
• 1/4 Cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Grape Jelly

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare the CLoink Balls, Wrap each Piece of Chicken Brat (hereafter, called a Meatball) in a Half piece of Bacon. 
2. Arrange on a wire rack on a rimmed cookie sheet (line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up)  The wire rack keeps the balls from sitting in the bacon drippings while cooking
3. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 Minutes (25 minutes if using thick sliced bacon).
4. Check for doneness.  Balls are done when the bacon is cooked to your likeness.  Continue to bake as needed, but check often to make sure they do not burn
5. While the balls are cooking, make the sauce. Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, mix the Jelly and BBQ sauce. Stir to evenly mix.
6. Serve warm, with a cocktail fork inserted in each, with the dipping sauce on the side OR Dip each arrange on a deviled egg presentation dish.  This way the egg cavity becomes it's own dipping sauce bowl
    and of course, ENJOY!