Last Updated on 19/06/2024 by Adina
Baked meatballs and rice are a comforting casserole dish that your children will love. This is a budget-friendly recipe that you will keep making again and again.
You can't go wrong with this baked meatballs and rice recipe! It is everything that a nice, reliable family recipe should be. It only needs a few simple ingredients, is easy and quick to make, and has a huge comfort or coziness factor.
And your kids will love every bite of it. Totally children's food, if you ask me. Just meatballs and rice, with veggies or salad on the side, so that nothing gets in the way. 🙂
And if you would like more kid-friendly casseroles, try this Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake or this Bolognese Pasta Bake.
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Three ways of making meatballs and rice
Nothing changes when it comes to the rice layer. You have rice, onions, garlic, butter, spices, and some broth.
But when it comes to the meatballs, there are several ways you can cook them.
- Mix ground meat with all the other ingredients, brown them on the stovetop, and bake them with the rice. I usually use a mixture of pork and beef, but only pork or beef is fine. Turkey meatballs are also delicious.
- Sausage meatballs: goes faster. Remove the cases of some good quality sausages and form the balls. The sausages are usually spicy, so there is nothing else you will add to the mixture.
- Ready-made meatballs: either homemade leftover meatballs like these beef koftas or Romanian Meatballs - Chiftele. I sometimes have leftovers in the freezer. I defrost them quickly on the counter (it won't take long) and add them to the dish.
- Or frozen and defrosted ready-made bought meatballs. They are usually cooked and only need to be reheated. Or you can use cooked ones from a pack from the refrigerator section of the supermarket.
How to make baked meatballs and rice?
Rice:
- Chop the onion and garlic very finely. Place in a casserole dish of about 30x20 cm/ 12x8 inches.
- Add the butter and the oil, the hot chicken stock, and hot water. It is important that they are hot so that the butter can melt and the dish starts cooking sooner in the oven. Mix well until the butter is melted.
- Add the uncooked, washed rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- While the rice bakes, make the meatballs.
Meatballs:
- Combine the ground meat with the grated onion and garlic. Add breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, dill, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Form the balls, scooping about 1 heaped tablespoon or ⅛ cup of the mixture and rolling it with wet hands. I had about 25.
- Brown in a little oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan, about 5 minutes per batch and turning often so that they can brown on all sides. They should be brown but not cooked through.
- Remove the aluminum foil from the rice, you will not need it anymore.
- Nestle the meatballs into the rice.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the rice and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
What could you add?
- You can add 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste to the hot stock mixture and whisk well.
- Add one cup of frozen peas or diced carrots to the rice, both veggies that kids usually like.
- Five minutes before the cooking time is over, take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle it with Parmesan, a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan, or grated Cheddar cheese.
Can you reheat the dish?
Definitely. You can reheat the leftovers in the same dish. Just make sure to evenly distribute the leftovers all over the dish. Reheat in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through, about 20 minutes, but check.
You can also reheat them on the stovetop. Mix everything together, add a splash of chicken broth or water to prevent the rice from catching at the bottom of the pan, and reheat gently, covered, on medium-low heat, and stirring often. To speed up the reheating process, halve the meatballs.
What to serve on the side?
A green salad with yogurt dressing or vinaigrette is perfect. Cucumber salad or white cabbage salad is also great.
But most vegetables are suitable as a side dish as well. Try some roasted carrots, buttered peas, German Brussels sprouts, roasted whole cauliflower, cauliflower mayonnaise salad, and so on.
Meatballs and Rice
Equipment
- Casserole dish of about 12x8 inches/ 30x20 cm
Ingredients
Rice:
- 1 small onion or ½ medium one
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cup hot chicken stock
- 1 ¼ cup hot water
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ cup long grain rice
Meatballs (Note 1):
- 1.2 lbs ground meat Note 2
- 1 small onion or ½ medium
- 2 large garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup dried breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying the meatballs
- some parsley for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350°F/ 180°C.
Rice:
- Combine: Finely chop the onion and grate the garlic cloves. Place them in a casserole dish. Add the oil, butter, salt, pepper, hot chicken stock, and hot water. Mix well until the butter is melted. Add the washed rice and dried thyme and combine it well. 1 small onion + 3 garlic cloves + 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter + 1 ½ cup hot chicken stock/ 375 ml + 1 ¼ cup hot water/ 300 ml + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 1 ½ cup long grain rice/ 275 g
- Bake: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meatballs:
- Combine: In a large bowl, combine ground meat, grated onion, grated garlic, breadcrumbs, lightly beaten eggs, milk, chopped dill, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well.1.2 lbs ground meat/ 550 g + 1 small onion + 2 large garlic cloves + ⅓ cup dried breadcrumbs/ 40 g + 2 eggs + 3 tablespoons milk + 2 tablespoons chopped dill + 1 teaspoon ground paprika + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Form meatballs. Take a heaped tablespoon of meat (or about ⅛ cup) and form meatballs with wet hands.
- Fry in a bit of oil, in batches, for about 5 minutes per batch or until brown all over; they should only be browned and not thoroughly cooked through.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Bake:
- Remove and discard the aluminum foil. Nestle the meatballs into the rice and bake for 25 minutes until the rice and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve: Sprinkle with parsley before serving. some parsley
Notes
- Quick sausage meatballs: remove the casings from about 600 g/ 21 oz sausages, form meatballs, brown on the stovetop as instructed in the recipe.
Ready-made frozen meatballs: defrost quickly on the counter. Place on the partially cooked rice and continue with the recipe as instructed. - I usually use a mixture of pork and beef. You can also use only beef, only pork, or ground turkey meat.
Kirstie says
Absolutely delicious! My daughter, who is pretty picky, REALLY loved! We will definitely make this again and again!
I will say, I don’t think it needed the milk. I had to add more bread crumbs to be able to form the meatballs. But otherwise this was super easy and so delicious!! Thank you!!
Adina says
I am so happy to hear it, Kirstie. Thank you for the feedback and for the rating.
Blue says
Made this tonight, added baby leeks, thinly sliced button mushrooms and used black rice. Needed more breadcrumbs and didn't add the milk to the mince. Delicious thank you.
Adina says
The additions are great, I bet it was very good. Thank you for the feedback.