Meatballs and Rice – this creamy meatballs and rice recipe is total comfort food! Made with simple, real ingredients + makes great leftovers!
A Delicious Meatballs And Rice Recipe
On those cold winter nights there is nothing better than some nice, cozy comfort food! This delicious meal is made with real, simple ingredients and will be the perfect dinner on a day spent playing outside in the snow. Most of the meal can easily be prepped ahead of time so once you are ready to eat, it will all come together in about 30 minutes! Comfort food that the whole family will love!
Love Meatballs – try our Saucy Italian Meatballs + Parmesan Orzo!
What You Will Need
- cream of mushroom soup:
- vegan butter, regular butter, or ghee – use the option that works best for you!
- yellow onion – gives some great mild onion flavor.
- mushrooms – we typically use 1 package of sliced white mushrooms but feel free to use your favorite mushroom.
- fresh thyme, kosher salt, pepper – the simple blend of seasonings that provide the flavor.
- all-purpose flour – helps the soup thicken to a great creamy texture. You could also use arrowroot powder if you want it to be gluten-free.
- chicken broth – just grab your favorite one!
- full-fat coconut milk – this also gives a great creamy texture plus some added flavor.
- unsweetened almond milk – you also have the option to use regular milk if you aren’t concerned about it being dairy-free.
- meatballs and rice:
- 1-1.5 lbs. ground beef – we used about 1.5 lbs but anywhere in the 1-2 lb. range should work for this recipe.
- kosher salt & pepper – just a simple little seasoning that’s perfect when cooking any meat.
- long grain brown rice – feel free to use another rice, you just might need to adjust your cook time.
What Should I Serve With Meatballs And Rice?
We love to serve a deliciously simple green vegetable with this yummy dish. A few of our favorites are Roasted Broccolini, Steamed Green Beans, or Easy Grilled Broccoli.
Can I Do Any Prep Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! Both the cream of mushroom soup and the meatballs (once cooked) can be stored in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Store them separately but then once you are ready for the meal, it is so simple to warm them on the stove and then add the rice! A little prep can really save you some time on a busy weeknight.
How Should I Store Any Leftovers?
Once the dish has cooled, you can easily store any leftovers in the fridge for about 3-4 days!
How To Make Meatballs And Rice
Make the cream of mushroom soup.
Sear the meatballs in a cast iron pan (pro tip – use a cookie scoop to help separate the ground beef into meatballs).
Add cream of mushroom soup to the pan.
Add the rice.
Let it simmer for about 35-45 minutes.
Enjoy!
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Meatball and Rice
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Meatballs and Rice – this creamy meatballs and rice recipe is total comfort food! Made with simple, real ingredients + makes great leftovers!
Ingredients
Cream of Mushroom Soup:
- 5 tablespoons of vegan butter, regular butter or ghee (divided)
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
- 8–12 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (sub 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder for gluten-free)
- 3 cup chicken broth (vegetable would work too)
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
Meatballs and Rice
- 1–1.5 lbs ground beef
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 cup long grain brown rice
Instructions
Cream of Mushroom Soup:
- Bring large sauce pan (or Dutch Oven) to medium-high heat. Melt 3 tablespoons vegan butter (or ghee).
- Add add onion, stirring constantly, until they reduce.
- Add mushrooms and cook on medium/high, stirring constantly until they cook down (approx. 5-7 mins) and start to brown. (Add additional butter, as needed to ensure pan doesn’t dry out – I added a couple extra tablespoons – kind of depends how big your mushrooms are and how long they need to cook down, They will absorb the butter pretty quickly))
- Add a pinch of salt and the thyme. Stir.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt.
- Add flour and stir to fully combine.
- Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each pour.
- Let simmer about 10 minutes, stirring softly, and you will see it start to thicken.
- After 10 minutes, add coconut milk and almond milk.
- Stir to combine.
- Taste and add additional salt, pepper or thyme – as desired.
- Remove from heat.
Meatballs and Rice:
- Take 2 tablespoons of ground beef at a time and roll into meatballs. Set aside.
- Bring a large, deep cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add meatballs and sear on all sides. Season with salt and pepper as you turn them.
- Reduce heat to medium, continuing to let meatballs fully cook. Drain excess grease, but I recommend leaving 2-3 tablespoons (it adds flavor).
- Add Cream of Mushroom Soup to the pan along with the rice; Stir to combine.
- Cover and let simmer 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Ground Beef: you can do anywhere from 1 pound to almost 2 pounds here depending upon how much you want to make – I generally use 1.5 pounds.
- Turkey Meatballs: feel free to use our Turkey Meatball recipe instead of ground beef.
Lexie says
Very delicious! Pretty simple to make too. Thank you Erin!
Erin says
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Lexie!
Laine Hall says
I made this tonight and wow it was amazing. I subbed ground turkey for the beef (personal preference) and I doubled it for leftovers. The aroma and the taste matched each other perfectly.
This cream of mushroom soup portion of the recipe will now be my go to for cream of mushroom going forward.
You made Sunday dinner so exciting.
Erin says
Thank you so much, Laine! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe and thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review!