Porcupine Meatballs with Gravy

What a month... about four weeks ago, I decided I have had enough of my long commute to work. I recently took over a new programming area in a new community center and along with these new responsibilities has come longer hours. As a result, I am exhausted and I never see my family.

So, we are moving to Oswego, Illinois. Our new house is 9.87 miles from my work- I am going from 110 miles a day to under 20! I cannot wait. This whirlwind of events has caused my projects and my blog to take a backseat. I promise I will resume shortly- in fact, I'm in the middle of a project for our new home and will share it once we're settled around the first week of April.

For now, I'd like to share one of my favorite meals from my childhood- porcupine meatballs with gravy. I recently started making these for my family. I forgot how delicious and budget-friendly this recipe is. With just a box of Rice-a-Roni, a pound of beef and an egg, you have a great dinner for the family. And if you have a young family like mine, you'll have plenty of left-overs. This pairs perfectly with my Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe.

Here is the recipe...

Porcupine Meatballs in Gravy

1 Lb Ground beef
1 Box Beef Rice-a-Roni
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 C water
2 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350.

Remove beef mix packet from Rice-a-Roni box. Add the remainder of the box to a bowl with the beef and egg. Mix thoroughly with your hand.

Shape into 1" meatballs and place on a baking sheet with sides. Bake for 30 minutes.

About 5 minutes before the the meatballs are done, add water to a large skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk in seasoning packet. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add meatballs to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove meatballs. Add cornstarch mixture to the liquid in the skillet. Whisk until thickened.

Enjoy!