PORCUPINE MEATBALLS IN CROCKPOT RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, 1/2 cup of water and onion. Blend in salt, celery salt, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meatballs; drain fat.
• In an 11x7 inch baking dish, combine the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Place the browned meatballs into the tomato sauce, turning to coat well.
• Cover and bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine milk, onion, eggs and salt.
• Stir in bread crumbs and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Crumble in the ground meat, and mix thoroughly with your hands.
• Threaten to touch someone with your gross meat-covered hands (optional).
• Shape into 8 dozen small meatballs 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Place on baking pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until done- if you're not sure, cut one in half to check.
• If you don't have enough oven space or baking pans to bake all of this at once, please put the remaining raw meat mixture in the refrigerator until you can bake it.
• Let's be careful out there.
• Of course, using lean meat is the healthiest, but if the meat you're using is particularly fatty, I have found that baking the meatballs on a rack placed over a broiler pan or other shallow pan will allow most of the fat to drip away.
• If you do this, it's best to put a little water in the bottom of the pan or the fat may start to smoke.
• I do this in the oven, not the broiler.
• If you do try broiling meatballs, let me know how it turns out, for you are braver than I.
• MEATBALLS TO DIE FOR- This is an idea my husband came up with.
• Put your already baked meatballs in a baking dish.
• The more shallow the pan, the shorter time this will need to bake.
• Now, take a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a can of cream of shrimp soup.
• Mix them together, and add about 1/2 cup milk, just enough to let you mix it smoothly.
• Pour the soup mixture over the meatballs evenly.
• Bake this at 350 for about an hour.
• You want the sauce to get real thick and rich.
• We usually serve this over rice, but it can go over noodles or mashed potatoes, or on bread or a roll for a hot sandwich.
• I have also made it in a crockpot, cooking it on low for about 8 hours.
• Cooking on high turns this to mush.
• Still tastes good, but not pretty for serving to guests.
• This dish has been taken to many potlucks and served to guests numerous times, and there has never once been any leftovers-- so I can't say how it tastes re-heated!
• OTHER IDEAS Of course, it goes without saying (but I sometimes tend to state the obvious) that these are a perfectly easy way to make spaghetti and meatballs.
• Make your sauce (or open the jar) and gently heat the meatballs with the sauce.
• Using that same sauce, or using pizza sauce, or barbecue sauce, serve the meatballs on Hoagie/Submarine/Poorboy/Grinder8Ô (Insert Appropriate Regional Term Here) Rolls, with sauce and cheese of your choice.
• Heat in a sweet and sour sauce and serve on toothpicks as hors d'oerve (horse doovers?) or over steamed rice.
• A friend of mine used to make a simple barbecue sauce by mixing a jar of currant jelly with a bottle of chili sauce.
• Warm meatballs in this mixture, or use my Bobbie-Q Sauce recipe, and serve over in sandwich rolls, or over hot cooked rice, potatoes or noodles.
• On a hors d'oerve buffet, you can serve plain hot meatballs with an assortment of sauces for dipping.
• Provide toothpicks and small plates.
• As you can see, Easy Oven Meatballs in your freezer mean quick and easy meals!
• You'll come up with plenty more ideas to use these versatile, mildly seasoned morsels.