Porcupine meatballs, thankfully, do not include any genuine porcupines. That would be quite prickly. What they do have in plenty is flavor and fun. They’re a flavorful and substantial meatball that uses rice as a binder. The rice puffs up as it cooks, forming small “quills” that protrude out of the meatballs as the meatballs simmer in tomato sauce. The rice not only keeps the meatballs moist and soft, but it also lends a cute twist to this dinner.

These meatballs aren’t anything novel, but that’s probably why we like them so much. They’re a memorable dish from our childhood, and we still like opening the top and seeing those little rice spikes shooting out in all directions. It doesn’t hurt that they taste fantastic. (They’re quickly devoured around here. Mostly by yourself.) It’s truly a dish for kids of all ages.

Our approach differs slightly from the original Hunts commercial in that we increased the spice and skipped the browning. We discovered that skipping that step saves a little time but has no effect on the ultimate outcome. In any case, they’re simple to create! In a mixing dish, combine the ground beef, rice, onions, herbs, egg, and a half cup of the tomato sauce…And mash everything together with your hands…

(It’s good to get a little messy every now and again.)You make approximately 20 little balls, about an inch and a half across, and set them in the bottom of a skillet…The rice grains emerge from the meatballs as lovely little quills as they cook, and the sauce surrounds and immerses the soft meatballs in just enough extra flavor.

You turn the meatballs over cautiously and slowly, allowing the other side to simmer in the sauce until coated all over, and then serve them over mashed potatoes, additional rice, or just as is. Aside from the amusing name, they’re incredibly soft and meaty, with a pleasing herby flavor and a sweet tomato basis. They’re more than adequate without the gimmick, but we also enjoy that aspect.