Kristan's Version of Porcupine Meatballs

Yields around 36-40 meatballs or about 12 servings.

2 lbs. 80/20 or 85/15 hamburger
3 cups rice
1 family size can plus 1 small can cream of mushroom soup
milk or about 1 cup beef broth plus 1/4 cup half and half
pepper and Lawry's to taste
1 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

Optional additions:
1 egg
*2 pieces white bread broken into small pieces soaked in 1/4 cup milk (panade)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
additional milk or water to thin out sauce

Traditional Recipe:
Cook rice according to package directions and remove and cool 1 1/2 cups. Mix the cooled rice into the hamburger.(To make more tender meatballs mix one egg into *panade and add to the meatball mixture) Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste. Do not overmix. Test flavor my cooking a small piece in a pan. Form into meatballs using a small cookie scoop for uniformly sized meatballs. Heat some oil a large pan on medium heat. Brown meatballs on 2 sides and remove from pan.

Pour in the soup, liquid, pepper, small dash of cinnamon, and, if you prefer, the thyme and nutmeg. Heat to a simmer and add additional milk or half and half to thin sauce to desired consistency. Add meatballs back to the pan and cover with sauce, simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over the remaining rice. This freezes really well if you want to make it in large batches.

*panada; panade
[pah-NAH-duh (Sp , ), puh-NAHD (Fr. , )]
1. A thick paste made by mixing bread crumbs, flour, rice, etc. with water, milk, stock, butter or sometimes egg yolks. It's used to bind meatballs, fish cakes, FORCEMEATS and QUENELLES. 2. A sweet or savory soup made with bread crumbs and various other ingredients. It may be strained before serving