Porcupine Meatballs

When we farmed we would get cows butchered....so I always had lots of ground beef. I had to be creative to find new ways to have plain old ground beef. This is one not only the kids love, but Neil also. You could always substitute ground turkey for the beef.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tbsp. minced onion
1/3 cup uncooked rice
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. hamburger seasoning salt
1 cup water

1. in a mixing bowl combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, worcestershire sauce, salt, parsley flakes and minced onion.
2. mix together and then form beef into 8 meat balls
3. roll each meat ball in the rice so that the rice sticks to it
4. put the meat balls in a skillet
5. make the sauce by combining the tomato sauce and hamburger seasoning salt. Pour this sauce over each meat ball.
6. carefully pour the water into the skillet between the meat balls, not over them.
7. cover the skillet with a lid and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes.

hint: use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the meat for the meat balls so they will cook evenly.

Tomato Hamburger Casserole

This is a great casserole when you are low on time and don't have anything fresh in the fridge. I almost always have all these ingredients in the pantry/freezer. It doesn't sound like the most amazing recipe, but the kids love it and don't even realize I am throwing in extra veggies for them.

1 lb ground beef
1 can corn-drained
1 onion cut fine
2 cans tomato sauce (8oz)
tomato juice
1/2 lb. egg noodles cooked and drained
cheddar chesse-shredded

Brown onion add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add can corn and tomato sauce. Combine with egg noodles in casserole dish. Add enough tomato juice until you have a soupy consistency (some will cook off) Top with cheese. Bake 45 min 350*