Porcupine Meatballs

These Porcupine Meatballs are an easy roll and go recipe with no need to brown the meatballs or cook the rice! The rice steams in flavorful tomato sauce in the oven for juicy meatballs and fluffy rice every time!

Prep Time25

Cook Time55

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 485kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Meatballs

⅓ cup crushed Ritz crackers can sub plain or Italian breadcrumbs
⅓ cup half and half
½ cup yellow onion finely minced
3 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, basil
1 lb. ground beef 80% lean
½ lb. ground pork
Salt/Pepper
½ cup uncooked long grain white rice

Sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ cup chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes undrained
24 oz. marinara sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf

For Serving

Freshly chopped parsley
Freshly grated parmesan

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Measure out ingredients before beginning.
Add the crushed Ritz crackers to a large bowl. Stir in the half and half (this mixture will continue to thicken). Add the minced onions, garlic, parmesan, egg, oregano, and basil and until well combined.
Season the pork and ground beef with salt and pepper and add it to the bowl. Stir until just combined (don’t overwork the meat or the meatballs can become tough).
Add the uncooked rice and stir until evenly combined. Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Add the chicken broth and stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle bubble. (*If using a casserole dish, transfer the sauce to it now.)
Gently drop in the meatballs and spoon the sauce on top as you do so. Cover tightly to trap in the heat and transfer to the oven.
Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon out any grease from the top. Top with parsley and parmesan. Serve with Garlic Bread With Cheese or No Knead Bread with Olive Oil Bread Dip!

Notes

Pro Tips:

This recipe uses uncooked white long grain rice. (Carolina brand.) I haven't tested this with other varieties of rice and would stick to this kind. I wouldn't recommended using brown rice as it requires more liquid and cooking time, by which point the meatballs would dry out.
I recommend using an oven-safe baking dish with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. This ensures that the steam gets trapped in order to properly cook the rice. I use this 3.6 quart enameled cast iron casserole dish. A 9 x 13-inch casserole dish topped with thick foil will also work if needed.
80/20 beef is the best for this recipe as they bake for a while and this keeps them moist. A little ground pork adds additional complexity and flavor, however all ground beef may be used if needed.
Mince the onions finely so they incorporate nicely into the meatballs. The meatballs also hold their shape better with minced onions vs. diced.
Marinara Sauce: High quality marinara goes a long way in the final result. I love using Rao’s or Carbone marinara.
I use chicken broth instead of beef broth in the sauce as the chicken flavor contrasts the beef meatballs nicely. (But beef broth can be used if preferred.)
Adding Cheese: Add shredded mozzarella cheese during the last 10 minutes if desired, cover and finish baking for the remaining 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Higher altitudes often require more liquid and cooking time to sufficiently cook rice, so keep this in mind.
You'll know the meatballs are ready when the rice is clearly poking out from the meatballs. (Like a porcupine!)
Serve this with: Garlic Bread With Cheese or No Knead Bread with Olive Oil Bread Dip!

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers reheat well!

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 6 servings. (It also makes 38 meatballs total, or 6.333 meatballs per serving.)

Nutrition