Rice & Meatballs

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Comfort Food

Rice & Meatballs means more to me than just another dinner. It’s comfort food. This is a dish that my mom made so often and we always looked forward to it as kids. Keep it super simple and eat it just as it is or mix in a little ketchup or spice it up with some peppers. You can’t go wrong.

I’m partial to homemade meatballs but I mean super easy ones. You can literally roll up hamburger meat into balls, nothing fancy going on here. Be sure to keep an eye on the rice as it’s cooking, stirring occasionally to try to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan, and check to know the perfect minute it is done. Serve this up all by itself for a hearty meal you can fill up on, or pair it with your favorite veggie side dish.

Rice & Meatballs

This is a kid approved dinner. Everyone in the family will enjoy this recipe, and if you have a large family you know it is not always easy to find one thing that everyone looks forward to eating. If you have picky eaters, you can keep the peppers, onions, etc. separate and let each person customize their meal.

Busy weeknights can be so hard when kids have homework and other activities. Fast food can be such an attractive option, as cooking from scratch is probably the last thing you want to do after an exhausting day. This is a simple recipe that will save you time and also money, as there are only a few required ingredients. I hope that when you get the chance to cook this dinner for the first time, it will become one of your easiest, go-to homemade recipes.

Print Recipe

Rice & Meatballs

Super simple with great taste, this is a recipe my siblings and I loved when we were growing up. We still get excited when we see that mom has made this and my daughters enjoy it as well.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy meal, fast dinner, meatballs, rice, simple but delicious

Ingredients

• Meatballs Use as many as you want in a large skillet. Recommended to use homemade meatballs but store bought works too.
• Water Enough to cover meatballs completely.
• 1 cup Rice Use your favorite variety.
• Salt & pepper Season to taste.

Instructions

• In a large skillet, place as many of your favorite meatballs as you like.
• Cover the meatballs completely with water.
• Add 1 cup of rice.
• Cook on medium heat until the rice is tender and the meatballs are done. If needed, add a little more water as it cooks.

Notes

The rice and meatballs may stick to the pan some as they cook. To try to prevent this, rub butter on your pan before you start or spray with a little bit of non-stick cooking spray. Trust me, it will be delicious no matter what. Don’t even worry about it if it sticks to the pan a little. 

The only way I have ever eaten this is with homemade meatballs. It’s more work to shape the hamburger meat into balls yourself, but it makes all the difference. The rice is really flavored by the meat cooking. If you don’t have time to make the meatballs, buy them (look for a Homestyle variety if purchasing frozen). You can always make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them to save time later. If you go the frozen route, homemade or store bought, just thaw the meatballs out before cooking for a faster meal.

Enjoy this plain, just the rice and meatballs, or mix a little ketchup in before you take your first bite. It might sound odd if you’ve never tried it, but it’s good either way.

Just remember, calories don’t count when you are eating Rice & Meatballs!