Porcupine Meatball Recipe and Target Simply Balanced

This meatball recipe and discussion about Target Simply Balanced has been sponsored by Glam Media on behalf of Target but all opinions expressed here are my own.

Now that I am finally getting rid of all the cookies and candy in this house from the holidays it is time to get serious about eating healthy. I have decided to try to reduce the amount of gluten in my diet for the next couple of months to see if I can get my hyperactive inflammatory response under control. I find myself wondering what exactly I can eat any more and have become even more of a label reader than ever. When I was asked to check out the Target Simply Balanced line of foods at Target I was curious to see what sort of products they offered.

Eating healthy isn’t always easy and when I try to make things SUPER healthy I get a lot of push back from my kids. Teenagers do not always want to eat salads and bean sprouts for dinner! I have had to find creative ways to reduce the artificial stuff in their diets without causing too much drama at the dinner table. I find that the easiest way to do that is to cook as much as I can from scratch and make sure the foods I buy are free from as many artificial ingredients as possible. Thankfully, eating healthy and eating gluten free often go hand in hand. Processed foods often use fillers, thickeners and other garbage that is not allowed on a gluten free diet. Those are the same ingredients that I don’t want my kids eating either. Thankfully, Target Simply Balanced foods are low in sodium and fat, have zero Trans Fat, contain no Hydrogenated Oils or high fructose corn syrup, and have no synthetic colors, artificial preservatives, flavors or sweeteners. Good for me, good for my kids!

Of course, kids still want to snack….and if I ask them to skip the junk food and eat carrots every day they are not going to be all too thrilled. So, I was happy to see that Target Simply Balanced offers quick on the go snack ideas like granola bars, fruit snacks and chips. Those qualify as ‘junk food’ to my teens but with nothing artificial in them I feel a lot better about them eating it!

Mealtime can be the perfect time to get whole, natural foods into my kids. I buy our meat from a local farmer and choose simple, whole foods to round out our meal. This meatball recipe uses nothing artificial and is relatively easy to make. You could make up the meatballs the night before and cover and store in the fridge overnight. It takes an hour to cook in the oven but with no attention needed it is easy to sit down and help with homework, feed the dog, go through the mail or whatever else needs your attention. Paired with some fresh veggies, a glass of milk and a roll (for those NON gluten free family members…I miss bread!) and this meatball recipe will fill your family up without requiring a box of hamburger helper or a call to the local pizza place.

 Porcupine Meatball Recipe

Yield: 8

Porcupine Meatball Recipe

Print

Easy weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 jar Target Simply Balances spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups water
• 3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

2. Mix meat, rice, Parmesan cheese, onion, chicken broth and spices in a bowl.
3. Roll into balls about 3 inches wide and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan. You may need 2 pans for the entire recipe
4. In a bow, combine sauce, water and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and pour over meatballs
5. Cover pan with foil tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes, spooning sauce over the top if they look dry.
7. Remove from oven and serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Take the guesswork out of eating well.

Introducing Simply Balanced, a new brand from Target that’s thoughtfully crafted for taste and goodness.

www.target.com/simplybalanced

Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.