In a large bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk for a minute. Add the ground meat, egg, chopped onion, garlic, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and thyme. Use your hands to combine gently. Don’t overwork it.

Roll the mixture into small, bite-sized balls about 1 to 1.25 inches wide. You should get roughly 30–36 meatballs. Place them on a baking sheet as you go.

For speed: heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown meatballs on all sides (about 6–8 minutes).

Oven option: bake at 400°F (200°C) on a greased baking sheet for 12–15 minutes until browned.

Slow-cooker option: brown if you like a firmer exterior, or skip browning and move straight to the slow cooker.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine whole berry cranberry sauce, chili sauce, orange marmalade (or juice + zest), apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Stir until smooth and warm. Simmer 3–5 minutes.

Add browned meatballs to the saucepan and gently coat with glaze. Simmer on low for 10–15 minutes. If using a slow cooker, combine meatballs and sauce in the slow cooker and cook on low for 2–3 hours.

Transfer to a warm serving dish. Garnish with rosemary or parsley and a sprinkle of toasted almonds for texture. Serve with toothpicks for easy snacking.