Meatballs and Rice
This savory meatballs and rice recipe is ready to serve in under 30 minutes and is loaded with comforting flavors the whole family will love.
Servings: 4
Calories: 777kcal
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork (you can use ground beef or a mixture of both)
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Rice
- 1 cup white rice (uncooked)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 sprig thyme
Instructions
Meatballs
- Crumble the ground pork into a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, milk, tomato paste, minced garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Combine the meat mixture together with clean hands.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture with a spoon or cookie scoop, then roll it between the palms of your hands to form into a meatball. Repeat until each meatball has been formed.
- Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add the meatballs. Cook the meatballs on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until a brown crust forms. Continue cooking until the meatballs have been cooked through. Then remove them from the saute pan and set them aside.
Rice
- While the meatballs cook, pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and add the white rice and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook on low for 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
Sauce
- Reduce the stovetop to medium low heat and melt butter in the saute pan with the meat drippings. Sprinkle in the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk the mixture together to form a roux and continue to cook for two minutes while whisking.
- Add the chicken stock and milk a couple of splashes at a time, whisking the liquid in as you go. Continue until all of the liquid has been added. Then add the sprig of thyme and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Place the meatballs into the sauce and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens into a thin gravy.
- Serve by placing rice on a plate with meatballs and sauce ladled on top.
Notes
Tip: Wet your hands with water to prevent the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands when forming the meatballs.
To save time and effort, one pound of pre-made meatballs can be substituted instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 1558mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 3mg