Searching for easy ground beef and rice dinner? We are excited to share a deconstructed meatball recipe with you today.
Rolling out meatballs takes time and then there is the baking or watching over them and making sure they are fully cooked. I do not know about you, but after I work all day, dinner is just really the last thing I want to do that takes up more time. We have discussed prep, making, clean up, etc... all the things that go with dinner.
Some days I actually enjoy cooking or baking, and then other nights? Heck no! It is the last thing on my mind, but we gotta do it every night, right? So, guess what I came up with? Deconstructed meatballs, ha!
Can I tell you what a big hit it was? Mr. VS asked for it again, so I decided to give in to his request and actually made this one not once, but twice this week. It makes me laugh when he has special requests for dinner, it doesn't happen often since he will eat about anything I make, but when there is a special request, I do not deny it.
Easy ground beef and rice dinner aka: Deconstructed Meatball
What you will need:
- 1 lb ground beef (drained)
- 1 T + 1 t garlic powder
- 1/4 c gluten free bread crumbs
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 t Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 T brown sugar
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 T honey
- 1 1/2 t cornstarch
- 1/2 c rice
- Brown ground beef with finely chopped onion in skillet at medium heat
- Once the ground beef is browned and the onion is sautéed add in honey, garlic powder, and cornstarch
- Stir mixture until ground beef is broken up into small pieces and everything is fully mixed
- Add in gluten free bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, then break one egg over mixture and stir in the egg to the meat mixture (similar to when cooking an egg with fried rice) continue to stir until the egg has fully cooked
- Make rice according to box (I began with 1/2 cup uncooked rice)
- Mix the rice into the meat mixture
- Plate and serve
As you all know, I never know if these "ideas" I have will end up working out. I mean it sounded pretty good in my mind, but who actually knows until you taste it? I was pleasantly surprised it was mighty tasty.
When I spoke with my mother and described the dinner to her, she said I am going to stop you right there. You said honey and ground beef? I paused and said yes, I did say that. She said yuck right away! I laughed and reminded her it is ok to step outside the norm and give something a try.
I told Mr. VS what she said and he replied, well, she has no idea what she is missing out on! I was not sure about the breadcrumbs and egg, and how it would work out, but I reminded myself the egg in the recipe was kind of like fried rice. I am so not afraid to try new things in the kitchen.
When I first began, I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner that night, I just made it up as I went. Some evenings I have a plan, and others? Literally, I have no idea beyond the fact I have thawed ground beef, or chicken, or whatever I pull out of the freezer that morning to thaw.
I know I always say get creative, but it is like my mantra these days. Sometimes you just have to try new things in order to learn new skills, or try new recipes, or whatever you may be considering new in life.
To me, life is like walking on a path, sometimes you need to know when to step off the path, and other times you need to know when to jump back on the path. You never know what you will gain by stepping off, and sometimes jumping back on the path is a wise choice too.
Interested in other Vintage Style Gal recipes? Click to read:
