meatballs and rice

Making meatballs and rice in the Instant Pot is a quick and easy way to prepare a delicious and hearty dinner.  Cheesy rice, Italian spices, and savory meatballs create a simple comfort food you'll love!

Cheesy Italian Meatballs and Rice in the Instant Pot

white rice

beef broth

tsp salt

basil

oregano

garlic powder

onion powder

carrots, sliced

bell pepper, diced

24-30 frozen fully-cooked meatballs

blend cheese

shredded cheese

In the insert pot of an Instant Pot,...

In the insert pot of an Instant Pot, combine rice, beef broth, salt, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder (see notes below).

Layer the sliced carrots and diced bell pepper...

Layer the sliced carrots and diced bell pepper on top of the rice mixture.

On top of the carrots and peppers, add...

On top of the carrots and peppers, add the meatballs. Do not stir.

Close the lid and set the vent to...

Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position.

Select a 4 minute cook time at high...

Select a 4 minute cook time at high pressure. Once the cook time has completed, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release of remaining pressure.

Once pressure has released and the valve has...

Once pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Gently stir contents to combine.

Gently stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese...

Gently stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese until melted.

Serve, sprinkling additional cheese on top if desired.

This Meatballs and Rice is cooked in a rich and delicious tomato sauce. Better still, it&#039;s all made in one pot!

One Pot Meatballs and Rice

Meatballs

/ 750 milliliters Beef Stock

Long Grain Rice

Sun Dried Tomatoes, (finely diced)

Fresh Parsley, (finely diced (plus more to garnish))

Onion, (finely diced)

Garlic, (minced)

Worcestershire Sauce

tbsp Tomato Puree ((Tomato Paste in US))

tsp Dried Oregano

tsp Chipotle Flakes, (or

Salt, Pepper & Sugar, (to taste)

Olive Oil, (as needed)

Parmesan, (to serve)

Add a good drizzle of oil to a large pot over medium-high heat and add your meatballs. Fry them until they get a nice crust on them, turning regularly. You don&#039;t need to cook them right through at this point, just ensure they caramelize and brown. Remove from pan and drain excess fat if needed (around 1 tbsp left is fine and will add flavour).

Aromatics

Turn heat down to medium and add in your onion into the oil/fat. Fry until they begin to turn golden, then add in sun dried tomatoes and garlic. Continue frying for 1-2 more minutes until the tomatoes soften and the garlic browns, then add in your tomato puree. Fry for a minute or so, then pour in your passata.

Sauce

Wash out the jar with a little water, then pour in beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Add in parsley, oregano, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and a good pinch of sugar (to taste). Give it a stir and deglaze the pot with your wooden spoon. Add your meatballs back in, give it one final stir, turn the heat to low then pop on the lid and simmer for 30-45mins. This will allow the meatballs to become soft and juicy, it&#039;ll also allow them release flavour into the sauce. If you&#039;re pushed for time even 10-15mins will help, just ensure you keep a heavy lid on so the sauce doesn&#039;t reduce.

Rice

Take off the lid, pour in your rice and give it all a good stir. Pop the lid back on and simmer for 15mins, or until the rice is cooked through, stirring occasionally. If you over reduce just add in a splash of water to help the rice cook through if needed.

Serve

Serve up with extra parsley and a good helping of parmesan!

Meatballs and Rice - this creamy meatballs and rice recipe is total comfort food! Made with simple, real ingredients + makes great leftovers!

Meatball and Rice 

vegan butter, regular butter or ghee (divided)

yellow onion, minced

8-12 oz mushrooms, sliced

thyme

salt

black pepper

+ 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

chicken broth (vegetable would work too)

full-fat coconut milk

almond milk

1-1.5 lbs ground beef

kosher salt and ground black pepper

brown rice

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&#8217;t dry out &#8211; I added a couple extra tablespoons &#8211; kind of depends how big your mushrooms are and how long they need to cook down, They will absorb the butter pretty quickly))

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt.

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.

Taste and add additional salt, pepper or thyme &#8211; as desired.

Cream of Mushroom Soup:

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! 

Meatballs and Rice:

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.

Very delicious! Pretty simple to make too. Thank you Erin!

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The most viewed meatballs and rice recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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One Pot Meatballs and Rice

Meatball and Rice

The most viewed meatballs and rice recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine