Porcupine balls

Serves:

Ingredients

• 750g beef mince
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup rice (I use basmati)
• 1 egg
• 700g jar tomato paste

Method

Preheat oven to 180åC. Combine mince, rice, egg, garlic and soy sauce.

Make into meatballs (I use about half a cup per meatball) and place in a single layer in a large casserole dish.

Pour over tomato passata, rinse the jar with 125mL water and add this to the dish too.

Cover with casserole lid and bake for 1 and a half  hours. I usually check to see if the sauce needs more water about 1 hour into cooking.

Serve with yummy creamy mashed potatoes and peas.

Notes:

• Use premium or heart smart mince, because you do nott get a chance to drain the fat from the dish.
• Tomato paste is in supermarkets and is 99.5% tomatoes (no skin or seeds) and a tiny bit of salt; near the pasta sauces.
• Prepare the meatballs beforehand (I did them in the morning), cover with plastic film and store in the fridge.
• Pour in the tomato passata just before baking.
• My Mum used to make this for us when we were kids (but using packet tomato soup no paste back then!). And despite my recent best efforts, the name Porcupine Balls remains; Echidna balls is more patriotic but even more odd then PB, Echidna eggs is a bit left of field and Rice rissoles just sounds very boring!
• Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

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