Porcupine Meatballs

My kids (and husband) LOVE this quick meal. It is quick and simple and fills the tummy, even on a budget! I used to eat this all the time as a little girl, but it wasn't until I got married that my mother-in-law taught me the art of the pressure cooker. This recipe can be made in the pressure cooker or the oven! I will give you both methods, but remember that the pressure cooker cooks your meal a LOT faster!
Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef 
½ cup rice, uncooked 
1 T onion, minced 
1 tsp salt 
¼ tsp pepper 
1 can tomato soup (sometimes I use 2 cans, depending how saucy I feel!) 
¾ cup water

Combine meat, rice, onion, salt, and pepper. Form into balls. Mix soup and water in a 4 qt. pressure cooker.  Drop meat balls in pan. Cover and heat until control jiggles (or in my pressure cooker's pressure gauge locks). Then continue to cook 8 minutes.  Cool normally for 5 minutes, and then cool under faucet. It works great doubled too! 

If you don’t have a pressure cooker spray a 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350*.  Follow directions for the recipe above and instead drop into the pan. Cover with tin foil. Cook for about an hour or until the rice is cooked.

Vegetable Fried Rice with Bacon

This is another GREAT recipe from Food Network! We love it...we just substitute cabbage for the watercress..my kids were not such a fan of watercress, but it was good the first time we had it! We have made it several times since! Yummy! Click here and enjoy!

Skillet Pork Chops and Rice

This fast and easy meal was a winner for my family! Once again I found it in my trusty Cook's Country 2011 Recipe Book. It is in the 30 minute meals in August/September.

Skillet Pork Chops & Rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (I soften my butter in the microwave for 8 seconds)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley ( I used dry and it was still great!)
1 cup long grain rice
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed
salt & pepper
1 onion
1 garlic clove minced (I did a few...I LOVE garlic)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and parsley in a small bowl.
Microwave 1 cup broth and rice in covered large bowl until liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes.
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chop, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent loosely with foil.
Melt remaining butter in the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in parcooked rice and remaining 1 1/4 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Return the pork chops and their juices to the pan and cook covered over medium-low heat until pork is cooked and rice is tender.
Serve each piece of pork with a slab of parsley butter.

Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice

Looking for a quick meal tonight?! Here is an easy crowd pleaser! YUMMY! And it is healthy to boot...just don't go overboard on the Fritos!

Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice (adapted from Cook's Country 2011)
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
salt & pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Pam
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (10 oz)
1 can black beans (16 oz), drained & rinsed
Fritos
Shredded Mexican Cheese blend

1. Combine 1 cup broth and rice in a large bowl. Cover with plastic and microwave until liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Spray a large saucepan with Pam. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
3. Add remaining broth, parcooked rice from the microwave, tomatoes, and beans to now empty skillet. Bring to a boil. Return chicken and juices to skillet and cook, covered over medium low heat until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove chicken from the rice and let it rest on a plate tented with foil, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, letrice mixture stand covered for 5 minutes.
5. Cut chicken into bite size slices. Serve with crushed Fritos and cheese.