Old-Fashioned Porcupuine Meatballs
These porcupine meatballs come together in one casserole dish with ingredients you probably already have on hand. The rice bakes right into the meatballs, giving porcupine meatballs their signature spiky look while the tomato gravy soaks in and gets soft and cozy. It's the kind of retro dinner your grandma made without a second thought, and it's about to become one of yours too.
Servings 4
Equipment
- 2 Quart Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- ¼ Cup Uncooked Regular Rice
- 1 Egg slightly beaten
- ¼ Cup Onion minced
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Can Condensed Tomato Soup 10¾ ounces
- 1¼ Cups Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, rice, egg, onions, parsley, salt, and black pepper.
- Shape into 1½ inch balls.
- Brown the meatballs in a small amount of fat, if desired.
- Place the meatballs in the prepared casserole dish.
- Combine together the Worcestershire sauce, condensed tomato soup, and water.
- Pour the mixture over the meatballs.
- Cover and bake at 350℉ for 1½ hours or until cooked through.
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Use regular rice, not instant or minute rice. Regular rice needs the full baking time to cook through properly. Instant rice will turn mushy before the meatballs are done.
- Don't skip the browning step if you have time. Browning the meatballs first adds extra flavor and helps them hold their shape better in the oven.
- Pack the meatballs loosely. Overworking the meat mixture makes them dense. Mix just until everything is combined.
- Keep them roughly the same size. This helps the meatballs cook evenly so you don't end up with some done early and others still pink in the middle.
- Check for doneness at the 1 hour 15 minute mark. Ovens vary, so start checking a little before the full bake time. The rice should be tender and the meatballs cooked through.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. This gives the gravy a chance to thicken up slightly and makes them easier to plate.