Porcupines with BBQ Sauce

These fun Porcupines with BBQ Sauce are soft beef and rice balls cooked slow in a sweet tomato BBQ sauce. The rice pokes out like little porcupine quills! This easy slow cooker meal is great for busy nights and tastes amazing served over pasta with fresh veggies on the side.

Servings: 24

Cook Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

• 500g lean minced beef
• ½ cup raw, long grain white rice
• 1 large onion, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1–2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 400g can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 420g can cream of tomato soup concentrate
• ½ cup BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed

Porcupines in BBQ Sauce: Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the minced beef, raw rice, grated onion, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
2. Using clean hands, mix everything together really well until it’s all combined evenly.
3. Take small amounts of the mixture and roll them into balls about the size of a golf ball.
4. Lightly roll each meatball in plain flour so it’s coated all over, then gently place them in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the diced tomatoes, cream of tomato soup, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar until well blended.
6. Slowly pour the sauce over the meatballs, making sure they are all covered.
7. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 6 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice inside is soft.
8. Serve warm, spooning extra sauce on top, alongside penne pasta and your favorite fresh vegetables.