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Skillet filled with creamy meatballs and rice.

Meatball and Rice

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Erin Jensen
  • 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

Scale

Cream of Mushroom Soup:

  • 5 tablespoons of vegan butter, regular butter or ghee (divided)
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
  • 812 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

  • 11.5 lbs ground beef
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 cup long grain brown rice 

Instructions

Cream of Mushroom Soup:

  1. Bring large sauce pan (or Dutch Oven) to medium-high heat. Melt 3 tablespoons vegan butter (or ghee).
  2. Add add onion, stirring constantly, until they reduce.
  3. 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))
  4. Add a pinch of salt and the thyme. Stir.
  5. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt.
  6. Add flour and stir to fully combine.
  7. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each pour.
  8. Let simmer about 10 minutes, stirring softly, and you will see it start to thicken.
  9. After 10 minutes, add coconut milk and almond milk.
  10. Stir to combine.
  11. Taste and add additional salt, pepper or thyme – as desired.
  12. Remove from heat.

Meatballs and Rice:

  1. Take 2 tablespoons of ground beef at a time and roll into meatballs. Set aside.
  2. 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. 
  3. Reduce heat to medium, continuing to let meatballs fully cook. Drain excess grease, but I recommend leaving 2-3 tablespoons (it adds flavor). 
  4. Add Cream of Mushroom Soup to the pan along with the rice; Stir to combine.
  5. Cover and let simmer 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  6. 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.