Easy Oven-Baked Meatballs: Delicious Old-Fashioned Recipe

In this video, I share with you an easy and delicious recipe for Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. This classic dish has been around for decades and was a staple during the Great Depression due to its simplicity and deliciousness. The rice pokes out as they cook, giving them their unique name. Trust me, this dish is delicious with minimal effort.
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
500 grams beef mince
1/3 cup soft white breadcrumbs
1/3 cup white rice (short grain recommended)
1 medium onion, grated
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
Sauce:
1 can (420g) tomato soup
3/4 can water (use the soup can for measurement)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves minced garlic
2 small bay leaves (or 1 large)
2 small pieces of lemon peel (avoid the white pith)
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, rice, grated onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
2. Grease a casserole dish with butter (optional but adds flavour).
3. Form meatballs by rolling the mixture between your palms, making them about the size of a large walnut. Place them in the casserole dish.
4. In the same bowl (to save on washing up), mix the tomato soup, water, salt, pepper, sugar, minced garlic, bay leaves, and lemon peel. Whisk together and pour over the meatballs.
5. Cover tightly with aluminium foil (double foil for extra security) or a lid. Bake in a moderate oven at 160°C fan (180°C no fan) for 1 ½ hours.
6. Remove the casserole from the oven, uncover, and coat each meatball with the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and lemon peel. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary (add more sugar if the sauce is too bitter).
7. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan (220°C no fan) and cook for another 10 minutes to brown the meatballs and thicken the sauce. Turn the meatballs over and cook for another 10 minutes to brown the other side.
8. Remove from the oven, spoon hot sauce over the meatballs, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Serve these delicious meatballs with mashed potatoes and vegetables, in a meatball sub, or over freshly cooked buttered pasta. They are melt-in-the-mouth tender, and the sauce is so flavourful. Mike and I almost polished off the whole dish in one sitting-we went back for seconds!
Thank you so much for watching and supporting my channel. I hope you enjoy making and eating these porcupine meatballs as much as I do. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more easy and delicious recipes!
‪@leescooking‬
Relevant Hashtags:
#porcupinemeatballs #meatballrecipe #ovenbakedmeatballs #easymeatballs #easyrecipes

[@leescooking]

What's your go-to comfort food? Share your favorites or any twists you’d add to these meatballs!

[@carlajordan3119]

My go to comfort food are Dutch GF pancakes. Not quite like crepes, but close to it. Have it with golden syrup, lemon and honey, cinnamon sugar, or even brown sugar. All fattening, but once in a while it's needed😅

[@leescooking]

@@carlajordan3119 Yum, that sounds so delicious, I wonder if they're like German pancakes, Eierpfannkuchen. I make these sometimes, gf, and they are yum, very similar to crepes. Golden syrup would be delicious, I haven't had that on a pancake or crepe before. ♥

[@TannieOTable]

Mine will be noodle soup or just noodle with sauce. I have an Asian background so I have a few favourite dishes 😂

[@leescooking]

@@TannieOTable Yum, I just love a bowl of noodles, did you check out the noodle recipe I did for Tom Ka? Are you familiar with that dish?

[@TannieOTable]

@@leescooking I haven’t checked that one out yet. I think I know Tom Ka. It’s a Thai dish and yes my favourite too, using galangal in the soup 😋

[@carlajordan3119]

Excellent tip about using short grain rice in the meatballs. 😊

[@leescooking]

Thanks Carla

[@cookwithrubina4601]

Amazing cooking 😊

[@leescooking]

thank you, it's a great recipe

[@TannieOTable]

Thank you for sharing Lee. This looks as yummy as your other dishes.

[@leescooking]

Thanks Tannie ❤

[@ppnagavlog]

Super delicious 🤤🤤

[@leescooking]

thank you, it is and super easy

[@user-tr1ym6uu9s]

That looks good...😘

[@leescooking]

Mike really enjoyed it.😉