This is a dish I made for dinner last week that was a HUGE hit with my entire, meatball-loving family. They reminded me of Mexican albondigas because of the rice-meat combination, but then again the flavor wasn't really Italian, either. They defy categorization.
I found the recipe in one of my vintage Sunset cookbooks from 1969. I'm sure the recipe is at least 20 years older than that. It was so easy to make and so delicious that it's going into heavy rotation this Fall and Winter.
I modified the original recipe slightly so I could share it here. I think you'll be able to tell where the old school recipe ends and my variations start.
YUMMY BALLS
- 1 pound ground beef (chicken or turkey)
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used short-grained Japanese rice since that's what I had on hand)
- 1/2 cup bread (or cracker) crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 can Campbell's tomato soup (it just has to be)
- 1 can water
Combine all ingredients except soup and water. Form into golf ball-sized balls and place into a greased 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl mix soup with water then pour mixture over meatballs. Bake in a 375º oven for one hour. Made enough to serve my family of four + a guest, and we had plenty of leftovers.
