Oven Porcupines

 

• 2 pounds hamburger

• 1 cup uncooked rice

• 3 cups water

• 2/3 cup onion

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon celery salt

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz cans)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Mix together meat, rice, 1 cup water, onion, salts, garlic powder, and pepper.  Shape into meatballs. Place on ungreased cake pans.  Stir together the remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs.  Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

*****

Do you like cabbage?  I do. I like it in every form I have had it in. I like cooked cabbage, fried cabbage, cole slaw, and sauerkraut. This wasn’t always the case. As I am sure is true of most children, I didn’t enjoy cabbage when I was young. It was green, and soft, and slippery. My brother wasn’t a big fan of cabbage either. It was our aversion to this green leafy vegetable that led to this dish being created. 

This recipe is actually a modification of a recipe that my mother prepared for us when we were small boys. She made stuffed cabbage. Neither of us would eat it. It slid around on the plate, and once we took a bite, the cabbage hit the palate first, and we were less than pleased. Mom though that it was a great dish that deserved a second chance. 

She recognized that it was probably the cabbage that we found objectionable. She has always been creative, flexible, and intuitive in the kitchen, so she un-stuffed the cabbage.  Instead of wrapping the stuffing into cabbage leaves, she rolled it into meatballs.  She covered the meatballs with the tomato sauce just as she would have the stuffed cabbage. 

In the heat of the oven, the beef released some moisture, allowing the rice in the mixture to become more prominent. When Mom served these new baked tomato-ey meatballs, my brother commented that they looked like little porcupines (because of the little spikes of rice). This is what we have called them ever since. 

I am thankful that Mom saw the potential of this recipe, and gave it another shot. Both my brother and I devoured this second attempt. We even had seconds. 

These porcupines continue to make regular appearances at family dinners, and I make them at my home as well. They are a family favorite, and there are rarely leftovers.

For a dish that is so savory and delicious, it is very simple to prepare. It is basically just meatballs baked in tomato sauce. 

They serve well with a multitude of various side dishes. One of my favorites is the simple cooked potatoes and carrots that you see pictured beside them. I also enjoy them with mashed or roasted potatoes, green beans, or broccoli. They pair well with mac and cheese. When I am feeling particularly nostalgic, I will serve them with cooked cabbage, remembering their origin. 

I hope you give this recipe a chance (or two). I think you will enjoy it. Let me know in the comments how it goes, or let me know if you make any further modifications to this modification.  

Try the Oven Porcupines. I recommend them.