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READY IN 45 mins

Hedgehogs

Read Reviews (50)

"Meatballs with rice in them, cooked in tomato soup. Serve with mashed potatoes and beans or on a bed of rice, if desired." — Christie

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Original recipe makes 8 servings Change Servings

2 1/4 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 egg, beaten

1 (26 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
26 fluid ounces water

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Directions

In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice and egg beat. Mix well with hands, making mixture into medium sized meatballs. Set aside.
Pour soup into a large saucepan, and dilute with 1 can of water. Heat to simmering over medium heat.
Lower heat to low, drop meatballs into soup and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

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PREP 15 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 45 mins

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My mom called these porquipine balls. They are basically the same thing. There are a few differences from my mom's recipe though. We precook the rice so you don't have the issue with the rice not cooking. I use about a cup of cooked rice to about a pound of meat. Browned the meat balls for color. Used two cans of soup and reduced the water. Added a little bit of worchestshire sauce for zip. I think adding the veggies as another reviewer suggested is a great idea. I will try that next time.

—Navy_Mommy

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 25, 2004

Okay, not bad, but where's the excitement, the color, the zip? To the meat, rice and eggs, add a bit of finely chopped onion and a little parsley. Shape into meatballs and put in single layer on the bottom of the baking pan. Now, here's the secret!! Chop a couple carrots and celery stalks and sprinkle over and around the meatballs. Cover with a can of tomato soup and a can of diced tomatoes, with juice. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder and maybe a dash of worcestershire sauce. This makes delicious gravy to serve over mashed potatoes. Just be sure to bake long enough to make vegies soft. My mother always served this with green beans, applesauce and cottage cheese. Make a double batch. It freezes well, if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers!!

—MTPURSE

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63 Ratings

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Jul 18, 2004

I'm giving this three stars because it's a great -base- but it's missing important ingredients. I also know these as porcupines, but the main and most important (to my crew) ingredient is missing.. Chopped (or minced) onion. I add 1/2 to 1 onion, which is more than my original recipe called for but it adds great flavor. Be sure to -brown- these, don't just toss raw meatballs into the sauce (ick). This makes a yummy 'byproduct' of the browned bits in the pan.. the rice is not cooked soft (haven't added any sauce and finished cooking it yet..) but by the time the porcupine balls are browned, there are crispy bits of browned onion/rice/hamburger bits. The cook and whoever is wandering by generally gets a taste. Add garlic and Worcestershire to the sauce mix as well as salt and pepper.

—ELIANDAL

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Aug 23, 2003

I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! But----to make them just like my grandma used to, I added a large pinch of cloves, cinnamon, about a tablespoon of sugar, and about a fourth cup of cider vinegar---very Polish! Yummy with noodles or mashed potatoes--this is comfort food!

—dibie1221

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Sep 11, 2003

Bland; very, very bland.

—LINDA MCLEAN

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Jan 05, 2008

My mom made these and called them porcupine meatballs. She used instant rice and it worked fine. But she made hers just like you make meatloaf with onions, peppers, everything except the tomatoes. She then dropped the meatballs into hot home canned tomatoes and cooked until done. She served hers with mashed potatoes, green peas and biscuits. We got a lot of laughs when we told others we had porcupine meatballs. We waited a few to let them know it was beef, not porcupine meat. I am 52 and still make them to this day. She got the recipe off a drive-in movie screen.

—Anita Middleton

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Jun 17, 2005

This was very good...except I modified it a little. I cooked the rice first, and instead of using tomato soup, I used cream of mushroom. As per other reviewers, I also added some seasonings (garlic, paprika, rosemary/thyme blend) and minced onion and green pepper.

—BUTTERFLY1030

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Feb 08, 2005

I give this 4 stars with some revisions as these would be so bland without some seasonings. I mix some minced onion, garlic powder, worchestshire, a little chili powder and some salt and pepper into my meatballs. Into the sauce I put more worchestshire, a little brown sugar, some beef boullion, a couple of tablespoons of wine vinegar or lemon juice, and a secret ingredient - 1/2 tsp. ground cloves. I've also used tomato juice in the sauce with success. The sauce is a little sweet and sour. We too call these porcupine meatballs, and we have them all the time.

—SweetBasil

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Nutrition

Calories
413 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
26.7 g
9%

Cholesterol
113 mg
38%

Fat
21.3 g
33%

Fiber
0.6 g
2%

Protein
27.4 g
55%

Sodium
598 mg
24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Hedgehogs

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 413
** Calories from Fat: 192

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 21.3g 33 %
** Saturated Fat 8g 40 %
** Cholesterol 113mg 38 %
** Sodium 598mg 24 %
** Potassium 218mg 6 %
** Total Carbohydrates 26.7g 9 %
** Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2 %
** Protein 27.4g 55 %
** Sugars 6.4g
** Vitamin A 11 %
** Vitamin C 80 %
** Calcium 2 %
** Iron 20 %
** Thiamin 15 %
** Niacin 19 %
** Vitamin B6 9 %
** Magnesium 4 %
** Folate 24 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.