I have updated this Depression Era recipe for porcupine meatballs by serving them on trendy slider buns and melting some sharp cheddar over the top.
This post is part of a burger grill giveaway hosted by GirlCarnivore, but the inspiration for the recipe comes from my Grandma Florence’s recipe box.
Rice was Cheap and Meat Was Not
Although porcupines were eaten, most often at the subsistence-level of cookery, this recipe doesn’t employ the meat of the quilled rodent.
This recipe is a meat stretching recipe that most likely saw its first appearance during WWI and was popular during the Depression when meat was scarce and rice was cheap.
In Conservation Recipes, compiled the Mobilized Women’s Organization of Berkeley, 1918, a recipe for Rice Meat Balls appears and is probably the forerunner to the porcupine meatball recipe tucked into the my grandma’s recipe box. The recipe probably got its name because of the rice poking out from the sides of the meatball.
It’s interesting to see the evolution of this recipe. The ratios of rice to meat changed as meat became more available and affordable. With the introduction in the ‘30s of its workhorse condensed soup, Campbell’s suggested using tomato soup rather than canned tomatoes for this recipe. By the ‘70s, herbs, spices and more aromatics found their way into the once humble rice and meat ball.
So, in that spirit with so many amazing artisan foods and ingredients available, I have made some changes to grandma’s recipe. To the tomato sauce, I added a lovely smokey ketchup, a little smoked paprika, and some European style bacon from a local butcher. The meatballs remained relatively the same with the exception of melting a lovely sharp cheddar cheese over the top after placing the meatball and a generous spoonful of sauce in a potato slider roll.
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 pound bacon finely chopped, divided
- 1/2 cup rice
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 14 ounce jar smoky ketchup, I used Red Duck Smoky Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Slider rolls for serving
- Sliced cheese for serving I use Cabot sharp Cheddar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine beef, 1/2 of the bacon, rice, onion, green pepper, salt, thyme, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
- Shape into 12 - 15 balls about 1-inch in diameter.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and brown the meatballs in batches. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Add the remaining bacon to the skillet and fry for 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, and paprika, stirring to combine.
- Add the browned meatballs to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour until the rice is tender.
- Cut the slider rolls in half, place a spoonful of sauce on the bottom top with a meatball and a thin slice of cheese, place the top of the roll over the meatball and serve.
Nutrition
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Recipe Box Roulette
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Recipe card from Grandma Florence’s recipe box.
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This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂
So good! And the meatballs are so versatile. You can serve them over Pasta, on sliders, or make them smaller and serve as little appetizers.
I think you’re probably right how this got the name porcupine! That’s really cute. I feel like I want to make this but serve it over pasta instead. Have you tried it that way?
Hey Ching. We did have the meatballs over pasta the next day and it was delicious.
What an interesting history. I never knew there were burgers with rice. Looks like a great recipe!
Glad you found the story interesting. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!
Ooh, these look really tasty… I think my daughter would love them – she’s a burger fan!
I hope you daughter enjoys the recipe. Cheers!
While I don’t like bacon, I bet my husband and boys would devour these! My husband is always on the hunt for the next sandwich so I’ll have to make these for them.
You could leave the bacon out if you don’t care for it. This is a great little sandwich and I hope that you husband enjoys them. Cheers!
I’ve never really considered meatball sliders. These look waaaay too good!
Oh, the slider palette is so versatile 😉 I hope you give these a try. Cheers!
Looks good! What an interesting name for meatballs 🙂 Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you! It is fun name for a food. Cheers!
This looks so delicious 👌 My husband loves trying meatball recipes, I am sure he is gonna love it too!
Thank you! Hope you and your husband enjoy the recipe. Cheers!
I dont remember when was the last time I had these! Trying it soon and this time following your recipe!
I hope that you like my Grandma’s recipe for Porcupine Meatball Sliders. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe and the history behind it. Hope to prepare it in a weekend.
Thank you for stopping by. I am glad that you enjoyed the history behind the food and hope you enjoy them. Cheers!
Knowing that this food was born from a world war give it so much character. I do hope it’s tasty so that at least they still have delicious meals.
So many foods were born out of the need to conserve. The women (who were generally doing the cooking) did what they could to ensure that the food was a delicious as they could make it.
My husband has been asking me to make him something like this so I am glad I found your recipe! It looks SO GOOD!
Hey Bree, I hope that you and your husband enjoy my Grandma’s recipe for Porcupine Meatballs. Cheers!
Mmmnn…These porcupine balls looks and sound so tasty for Memorial Day barbecue and more.
Perfect for Memorial Day food. Cheers!
I love meatballs. The pictures alone sealed the deal for me. This looks and sounds incredibly tasty.
Thank you, Alexandra. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Cheers!
I love this recipe so much! Every single ingredient sounds amazing, I’ll definitely be adding this to my list of things to try!
It’s a great recipe to add to your list. Cheers!
Thank you for sharing this recipe- I adore this but have never tried to make it myself. I will now, seems more simple than I thought and how stunning is yours!
Thank you, Helen. It’s a simple but delicious recipe. Enjoy!
Looks super delicious!. thanks for sharing the recipe. Will give it a try.
Happy to share. Enjoy!
ooh…yummy. I love meatballs and I think sliders are so fun to make and serve. Perfect for a summer party.
So perfect for a summer party. Cheers!
The meatballs looks so delicious, I would really love it served with pasta. 😊 Thanks for sharing this recipe.
They are fabulous over pasta, Owen. That’s how we had them the next day 🙂
Meatball sliders are totally up my husband’s alley. I am going to try these out this week – thank you for sharing.
Happy to share. Hope your husband enjoys Florence’s Porcupine Meatball Sliders. Cheers!
It’s so interesting to me how recipes evolve over time and with the addition of new people making them. A meatball is such a great staple. My grandmother used to make a ton on Sunday and repurpose them throughout the week.
Yes, recipes cannot live in a vacuum. They evolve through time and space with people adding or subtracting and making them their own. Thanks for stopping by!
I have been playing with porcupine meatball recipes in my pressure cooker. I can’t wait to make these. I’ve tried it with uncooked rice and it never quite gets cooked enough. Do you use uncooked rice? Or cooked rice?
Hey Christie! I used uncooked rice like my grandma called for. I was a little concerned that they wouldn’t cook through, but they were perfect.