Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs With Peppers
This recipe crafts hearty "porcupine" meatballs, made with ground beef and uncooked rice, simmered to perfection in a rich tomato-based sauce with peppers and onions. Cooked slowly to allow flavors to meld and rice to tenderize, this dish offers a comforting and substantial meal with minimal hands-on time.
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For combining meatball ingredients.
- 1 Slow Cooker Minimum 6-quart capacity.
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient measurement.
- 1 Sturdy Mixing Spoon For combining meatball mixture and stirring sauce.
- 1 Whisk Optional, for blending egg and milk smoothly.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 16 ounce package frozen pepper and onion stir fry vegetable blend
- 1 14 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 2/3 cup uncooked white rice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef, uncooked white rice, beaten egg, milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper.
- Add 2 cloves of minced garlic to the meat mixture. Gently mix all ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Form the mixture into approximately 1 1/2-inch meatballs and set them aside.
- In the slow cooker, combine the 14-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 1/2 cups of beef broth, the 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes (undrained), 1/2 cup of red wine, and the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic.
- Stir the sauce ingredients well to combine, then add the 2 bay leaves.
- Carefully place the formed meatballs into the slow cooker, ensuring they are mostly submerged in the sauce.
- Evenly distribute the 16-ounce package of frozen pepper and onion stir-fry vegetable blend around and over the meatballs.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 to 8 hours, or on the high setting for 3 to 4 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender.
- Before serving, remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Serve the porcupine meatballs hot, optionally over pasta, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread.
Notes
For tender meatballs, avoid overmixing the ground beef mixture; combine ingredients just until incorporated to prevent a dense texture. The uncooked rice will absorb the sauce and expand, creating the characteristic "porcupine" quills, so ensure it's evenly distributed within each meatball. While not explicitly stated, briefly searing the meatballs in a hot skillet before adding them to the slow cooker will build significant flavor depth through the Maillard reaction. Adjust the final seasoning of the sauce as it concentrates during slow cooking. Serve these hearty meatballs over creamy polenta or al dente pasta to fully enjoy the rich, savory sauce.