If you’ve never tried (or heard of!) porcupine meatballs, then you are in for a treat. No, they’re not made with actual porcupine meat. Instead, they’re made with a simple combination of ground beef, seasonings, and long-grain white rice, then smothered in tomato sauce and baked in the oven. So easy! You can even add some shredded cheese or fresh herbs to the meatball mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium size bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients by hand or with a spoon until combined.
Once the ingredients are combined, form the meat mixture into 1 to 2-inch meatballs (about 15) and set aside.
For the sauce, pour all of the sauce ingredients into a 9×13-inch casserole dish and stir to combine.
Nestle the meatballs into the sauce and cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
Bake the meatballs for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with some freshly chopped parsley, if desired.