Crockpot Porcupine Meatballs

If you are a fan of meatballs, these delicious Porcupine Meatballs are sure to please. They have rice in them, and as the rice in them cooks, it sticks out of the meatballs like the quills on a porcupine. No, they aren’t made with real porcupines! 🙂

My favorite ground beef for meatballs and meatloaf is definitely ground chuck. When I find it on sale, I stock up and make both meatballs and meatloaf for my freeze. In fact, this recipe works best with frozen meatballs. They stay together better if you put them in the crockpot frozen.

To freeze meatballs, form them according to the recipe instructions. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet, and make sure they aren’t touching each other. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours to “flash freeze” them. When you take them out, you can place them in a freezer bag, and they won’t stick together, so you can take out exactly the amount you need for the recipe you are making.

Flash freezing in this way takes a little time, but it is a huge timesaver later.

Even though you will get best results with frozen meatballs, you can make this recipe with fresh meatballs.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chuck

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 c. uncooked rice

1/4 tsp. onion powdeer

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c. water

Directions: Combine egg, rice, onion powder, pepper, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Add the ground chuck. Mix with your hands until the mixture is blended well. Form into 20 meatballs.

Place the meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat. Turn them gently until they are slightly browned. Place them in the insert of a Crockpot.

Combine the soup and water. Use a whisk to get a smoother blend. You can substitute homemade white sauce for the soup. Pour the soup mixture over the meatballs.

I used homemade white sauce.

Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Be sure not to stir these too much especially if you did not begin with frozen meatballs. They will break apart if you stir them too much.

Serve these porcupine meatballs over rice or mashed potatoes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.