Italian Porcupine Meatballs {with extra veggies}

This porcupine meatballs recipe is a savory meatball combo of brown rice and beef with tons of veggies makes this dish packed full of nutrition!

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by USA Rice Federation and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I recently joined the Recipe ReDux, a group filled with amazingly talented registered dietitians and healthy food bloggers, which do just that – blog about healthy and delicious food.  

And because of Recipe Redux I was able to participate in this “Think Rice” challenge contest this week.  The challenge was to come up with a recipe that includes rice (U.S.-grown).

So why focus on rice?

When plating your food, grains like rice should make up one-quarter of your plate.  Rice contains several nutritional benefits such as being naturally sodium-, cholesterol-, trans fat- and gluten-free and is affordable!  

Also, brown rice is a whole grain that has been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic illnesses. 

And don’t worry, other types of rice (i.e. white, wild, jasmine, etc) can also fit into a healthy diet. Just aim for at least half of the grains you consume daily to be whole grain.  

If you’re interested in learning more about whole grains, I discuss their importance and how to make sure you’re actually eating whole grains in much greater detail in Whole Grains: Consumer Confusion. 

So I decided to make this Porcupine Meatball recipe that has been in my family for years.  Honestly, I googled the name since I thought my grandmother or mom may have made up the clever name. 

Nope, there is such a thing as porcupine meatballs. 

Add Extra Veggies

With practically every entrée I make, I try to add extra vegetables to them for the added nutritional benefits.  This recipe is no different. 

To my grandmother’s original recipe, I added one red pepper, an additional can of stewed tomatoes and more seasoning. You could add even more peppers, zucchini, celery or whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Also, if you’re wondering how this dish can be labeled as healthy and include ground beef, I use 96% lean ground beef. I choose lean ground beef because is lower in calories and saturated fat than other ground beef. Check out the beef nutritional comparison I created for my meatloaf recipe. You’ll find a comparison between the different types of beef and turkey.

This dish is also rather simple to make because once you combine the rice and beef, just add the veggies and seasonings and throw it in the oven!

This Italian Porcupine Meatballs {with added veggies} post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.