Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs

Entree

A retro favorite, porcupine meatballs use rice instead of breadcrumbs to bind the ingredients, which results in a bumpy, somewhat pointed shape. Saucy and tender, it's great for a weeknight.

Ingredients

  • 1jar tomato-basil marinara sauce (such as rao’s)
  • ½ cupchicken stock
  • 1 tbsp.worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp.balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lb.85/15 lean ground beef
  • ½ cupuncooked long-grain white rice
  • ½ cupwater
  • ⅓ cupfinely chopped yellow onion (from 1 small [5 oz.] onion)
  • 2 tbsp.chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1 ¼ tsp.kosher salt
  • ¾ tsp.garlic powder
  • ½ tsp.dried italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp.black pepper
  • 1 largeegg, lightly beaten
  • cooked rice

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together marinara sauce, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar in a large Dutch oven.

  2. 2

    Stir together ground beef, long-grain rice, water, onion, parsley, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and egg in a medium bowl until evenly combined.

  3. 3

    Roll beef mixture into 12 (2-inch) meatballs. Place in an even layer on top of sauce in Dutch oven.

  4. 4

    Cover and bake in preheated oven, turning once halfway through baking time, until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and rice is tender, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Serve hot over cooked rice.