Little Meatballs with Parmesan Garlic Rice

Looking for a delicious main dish for two?  Then Little Meatballs with Parmesan Garlic Rice is for you.  Mini meatballs in a tasty spiced sauce served over a bed of Rice, so good.

Little Meatballs with Parmesan Garlic Rice

I’m not one to do write ups on Cookbooks, but when my friend (I could probably say very good friend) April from Girl Gone Gourmet released her cookbook, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and try something out.

So when I saw this recipe for Mini Meatballs and Parmesan in the title I knew it was made for me.

If you have followed me for a while you will know I love carbs and anything and everything Pasta. As the Italian says I didn’t come to Italy for him I came for the Pasta. 😉

But in this case I thought the Parmesan Rice would do just as well, and it sure does.

I loved the idea of a Cook Book for One or Two, since our eldest daughter is now in Canada and our 2nd is in her last year of high school with every intention of following her sister …

smaller sized recipes will be something I will be making.

And yes I also gifted my daughter with a copy of April’s Cookbook.

To tell the truth it was all a different way of making rice and sauce for me.  In Italy we cook our rice like pasta, al dente in boiling salted water, drain the rice when cooked and serve unless of course you are making a Risotto.

How to Make Parmesan Rice

• In a medium sized pot add the water and bring to a boil.
• Add the rice and garlic.
• Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
• Drain any excess water, I actually turned the heat up and let the water evaporate, make sure you don’t burn the rice.
• Stir in the butter and cream, then add the Parmesan Cheese.  So good!

More Delicious Meatball Recipes

Mom’s Easy Traditional Italian Meatballs

Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Soup

Classic Italian Meatloaf

So if you are looking for recipes for one or two this is the Cook Book for you.  Gourmet Cooking for One or Two by April Anderson.  Buon Appetito!

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Little Meatballs with Parmesan Garlic Rice

Looking for a delicious main dish for two?  Then Little Meatballs with Parmesan Garlic Rice is for you. A tasty spiced meatball & rice dish.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American/Italian

Keyword mini meatball dinner recipe, mini meatballs in a sauce

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 352kcal

Author Rosemary Molloy / An Italian in my Kitchen

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

• 1 tablespoons egg (lightly beat egg & use 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 ounces lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

SAUCE

• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 2 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

RICE

• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup long grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter (I used salted)
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

MEATBALLS

• In a medium bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and black pepper, then add the ground beef.  Mix together with your hands until just combined.  Form the meatballs with a tablespoon (15 grams) of the beef mixture for each ball.
• Heat the oil in a 3 1/2 quart (3 litre) saucepan over medium heat.  Add the meatballs and brown on one side, approximately 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs and brown on the other side.  Remove the meatballs to a clean dish.

SAUCE

• To the same pan add the chopped onion and cook just until they start to soften, 2-3 minutes.  Then add the garlic and carrot and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and flour, stir to coat the vegetables.  Add the Worcestershire Sauce and stir, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the beef stock, salt, bay leaf and fresh thyme and stir to combine.  Bring the stock to a simmer and add the meatballs. Adjust the heat to low, cover the pan with the lid slightly askew and simmer the meatballs.

RICE

• In a small pot add the water and bring to a boil, add the rice and garlic and cover the pan.  Reduce the heat to low, cook until the rice is tender, approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain off any excess water. Stir in the cream and butter until melted, add the Parmesan and gently stir to combine.  Sprinkle with the chopped Parsley.  Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Uncover the meatballs and adjust the heat to medium to bring the sauce to a strong simmer.  Cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.  Remove the bay leaf and serve the meatballs over the rice.  Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1704mg | Potassium: 704mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5795IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 3.4mg

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