This coming weekend I plan on making several dishes ahead of time in order to enjoy the 3 day weekend more thoroughly. As I saw this recipe today I thought how much our son would enjoy a pot of these in the fridge when he comes home. The first thing he does is head straight for the refrigerator on weekend visits. These meatball/porcupine balls will be good snacks and appetizers wherever they are needed. I’m also thinking of making a marinated salad ahead of time and a cream salad. Then there’s a quick trip to the ‘big’ freezer at our friends home, to replenish our beef supply. I’ll be getting close to ready by then, mustn’t forget a pot of baked beans too.
I had my first encounter making cake pops this past weekend. They came out pretty good. I think the secret to those little goodies are the tips that go along with making them. Not the recipe, that’s for sure. I’ll try to work on them a bit more and see if I can’t run them for you in a few more weeks. Ervin looked at me today and said: ‘How about we go out for a steak dinner’? Usually I’m a bit hesitant, because I like to do my steaks at home, on our grill. But off to Charlie’s, on the 76 strip, we went. The meal was outstanding, and I got out of cooking Sunday dinner!
My dad celebrated his 90th this past Saturday. He received lots of cards, phone calls and well wishes from family and friends. I get to be with them in a couple of weeks when mom has her 87th. I am so blessed to have them. Wish we were a little closer. I never tire of hearing the stories from my parent’s lives.
I had every thought of getting my fall décor out and decorating this past weekend, but other things seemed to take precedence. Ervin drives a school bus, and he received a new route this past Friday.
Being a bit particular (like myself) he asked me to help him with the bus clean-up this weekend. Of course I jumped in to help because he’s always assisting me with my work. I hope those kiddos notice how clean I got their bus windows.
While you’re making a batch of these porcupine balls for the weekend why not freeze a few for later. I know they’re not ‘official’ meatballs, but they would still work in a meatball sub!
I’m going to scatter and see what else I can get accomplished before the day comes to a close. Simply Yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com
Porcupines
1 pound lean chuck
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup minute rice
1/2 teaspoon Black Kettle Seasoning Spice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
Sauce
8 ounces Tomato Sauce
1/3 cup Grape Jelly
1/8 cup brown sugar
Mix all the porcupine ingredients together except for the dry white wine. You should have 20-25 meatballs. Place the meatballs in a covered skillet over medium heat. Pour white wine over meat balls and place the lid down, cook until meatballs turn from red to white tone. Remove the lid and stir until most of the moisture is absorbed. With a straining spoon remove the cooked meatballs from the skillet and place in a covered casserole.
Whisk the grape jelly into the tomato sauce, stirring in the brown sugar. Pour over the meatballs in the casserole dish with the lid in place. Place in a preheated oven at about 300 degrees or in a slow cooker on warm. Heat for about 45 minutes until hot and bubbly.
How much sauce you make for this recipe depends upon the capacity in which you are using them. If they’re an appetizer make the amount of sauce indicated. If they’re for a meatball sandwich of sorts I would make additional sauce. These would also be good served over mashed potatoes, grits or rice. In this scenario I would also recommend making additional sauce.
Remember these meatballs can be made in advance and frozen for later use. Great for tailgate parties, heat them in crockpots!
For additional changes consider adding shredded carrot or zucchini to the recipe. Alter the dry spices to some of your favorites. You could add more rice to make this dish go further if necessary! Those liking more ‘zing’ might want to add a teaspoon of mustard to the sauce. For a spicy sauce, well that’s a no brainer; reach for the hot sauce, chili powder, red peppers even the jalapenos!
