Porcupine Meatballs
September 29, 2009 > 15 Comments
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My husband is a huge meatloaf and meatball fan. On occasion though, he’ll admit that the real reason he loves meatloaf is because it is the perfect vehicle for ketchup. Surprisingly, the kids all feel the same way too now. Our son sometimes even forgoes the “vehicle” all together and eats his ketchup with his fingers.
Since I am such a nice wife and mom, I decided we needed to mix up our ketchup-vehicle routine a little bit. I’ve wanted to try making porcupine meatballs for a long time. I love the fact that they’re almost a complete meal in and of themselves. Just add a veggie on the side and dinner’s done. (I suppose a cupful of ketchup could pass as a vegetable in a pinch too, right?)
Porcupine Meatballs
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 3 c. fully cooked rice (I used brown rice.)
- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 t. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 t. each – salt, garlic powder, pepper
1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and combine. Press into large balls and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (more or less depending on the size of the meatballs), until beef is fully cooked.
(Before baking. I made these in the morning and kept them in the fridge all day.)
These were so good! They honestly do taste great on their own if you’re not a fan of food smothered in ketchup, which I’m not. I think this recipe could prove to be very versatile and I’m looking forward to playing around with it more. Plus, the meatballs will freeze perfectly either before or after baking, just like regular meatballs.
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15 Responses to “Porcupine Meatballs”
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September 29th, 2009 @ 10:31 pm
My grandma used to make these, by the same name too! We have been using your recipes this week. Tonight we had the loaded baked potato soup and it was delicious. Absolutely fabulous. It will definitely go down as a favorite meal for my husband and I. Last night I made homemade noodles and everyone LOVED them too. Thanks for the meal planning!
September 30th, 2009 @ 3:58 am
They look amazing! I made Parmesan meatballs today but am looking for different types of meatballs to make. Definitely will be making these soon! Thanks for sharing!
September 30th, 2009 @ 6:38 am
Oh these look delicious! Thanks for the recipe, I’ve been looking for something different to try with ground beef and these will fit the bill! I could see how these would work really well with some parmesan and garlic too. And maybe a little marinara on the side for me. Since my family also enjoys ketchup more then I do! Just discovered your blog, and Im really enjoying it.
September 30th, 2009 @ 9:03 am
these look amazing!! Going to try this soon – thanks!
September 30th, 2009 @ 9:08 am
Thanks so much for sharing! I have to try these soon…they look so good.
September 30th, 2009 @ 11:03 am
I love meatballs! I’m not a good meatball maker….but I will certainly try this recipe!
Thanks.
September 30th, 2009 @ 11:51 am
My Granny made these too but a little differently. She always used raw rice and cooked the meatballs in a tomato sauce of sorts that started with canned tomato soup. I’ve changed the sauce a little bit to give it a bit more kick, but I never thought to use cooked brown rice to spead up the process.
I’ve got some hamburger hanging around just for this recipe!
October 1st, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Another hit! I do have one question, however…what’s the side dish you have in the photo? looks yummy!
October 1st, 2009 @ 11:14 pm
I’ve never seen these before and they look great. My husband likes meatloaf and meatballs, so I’ll have to try this. Thanks so much. You always have cool recipes here!
Kim
October 3rd, 2009 @ 8:08 am
I’m going to try these for Sunday dinner..they look really good. Will let you know how they turned out. Thanks for the recipe.
October 4th, 2009 @ 6:37 pm
Ok, these tasted great, but didn’t hold the ball shape, they fell completely apart once they were cooked…. did I not pack them enough, or did I miss a binder in the recipe?
October 7th, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
These are really good. I am glad I made a double batch for the freezer! Got me thinking … I wonder what spices are in Dirty Rice? I wonder if adding in some cajun/creole seasoning if it would taste like Dirty Rice Meatballs
I have only had dirty rice out of a box mix where you add your own meat.
October 10th, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
I love this recipe! I made some today and used lean ground turkey meat instead of ground beef. I used poultry seasoning instead of the Italian seasoning. I also added some diced onion, celery and bell pepper to the baking pan around the meatballs before cooking. They turned out perfectly. Thank so much. I will be making theses quite often.
October 15th, 2009 @ 7:32 pm
NO! NO! NO! Not ketchup! Pour a can of spaghetti sauce over them before baking! MMMMMM!!!!!!!!!
October 20th, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
I am also a huge fan of meatloaf, meatballs, and all things drenched in ketchup. :>) Is there a support group for that? Further, I am a huge fan of porcupine meatballs, but my recipe(s) call for uncooked rice then simmering in a (ketchup-based, of course) sauce forEVER. Last time I made them, I used brown rice and it took a looooong time in the crockpot to get that done, then the meatballs fell apart. Tasted good, though. Anyway. I love the addition of cheese!! I linked to this on my weekly roundup, the post is under my name. Thanks so much!!