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4.7 from 42 votes

Meatballs and Rice

Baked meatballs and rice, a comforting casserole dish that your children will love! A budget-friendly recipe that you will keep making again and again.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 526 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Rice:
  • 1 small onion or ½ medium one
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 ½ cup hot chicken stock
  • 1 ¼ cup hot water
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 ½ cup long grain rice
Meatballs (Note 1):
  • 1.2 lbs ground meat Note 2
  • 1 small onion or ½ medium
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • ⅓ cup dried breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying the meatballs
  • some parsley for sprinkling on top

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350°F/ 180°C.
Rice:
  1. Combine: Finely chop the onion and grate the garlic cloves. Place them in a casserole dish. Add the oil, butter, salt, pepper, hot chicken stock, and hot water. Mix well until the butter is melted. Add the washed rice and dried thyme and combine it well. 1 small onion + 3 garlic cloves + 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter + 1 ½ cup hot chicken stock/ 375 ml + 1 ¼ cup hot water/ 300 ml + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 1 ½ cup long grain rice/ 275 g
  2. Bake: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meatballs:
  1. Combine: In a large bowl, combine ground meat, grated onion, grated garlic, breadcrumbs, lightly beaten eggs, milk, chopped dill, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well.1.2 lbs ground meat/ 550 g + 1 small onion + 2 large garlic cloves + ⅓ cup dried breadcrumbs/ 40 g + 2 eggs + 3 tablespoons milk + 2 tablespoons chopped dill + 1 teaspoon ground paprika + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  2. Form meatballs. Take a heaped tablespoon of meat (or about ⅛ cup) and form meatballs with wet hands.
  3. Fry in a bit of oil, in batches, for about 5 minutes per batch or until brown all over; they should only be browned and not thoroughly cooked through.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Bake:
  1. Remove and discard the aluminum foil. Nestle the meatballs into the rice and bake for 25 minutes until the rice and the meatballs are cooked through.
  2. Serve: Sprinkle with parsley before serving. some parsley

Notes

  • Quick sausage meatballs: remove the casings from about 600 g/ 21 oz sausages, form meatballs, brown on the stovetop as instructed in the recipe. Ready-made frozen meatballs: defrost quickly on the counter. Place on the partially cooked rice and continue with the recipe as instructed.
  • I usually use a mixture of pork and beef. You can also use only beef, only pork, or ground turkey meat.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1/6 of the dish Calories 526kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 26g (9%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat 18g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 156mg (52%) Sodium 968mg (40%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 526

% Daily Value*

Serving 1/6 of the dish
Calories 526kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 18g 106%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 156mg 52%
Sodium 968mg 40%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.