Beef Hedgehogs

I usually make Meatballs with Spaghetti, and Teena really loves them!  Last night I decided to try something different though.  Mum asked me the other day if I remembered when she used to make Hedgehogs with beef mince and rice, and I did though I couldn't remember the recipe exactly.  So I decided to use my Meatballs and Spaghetti recipe and just modify it a little.


Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 tbspn lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
• 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tbspn tomato paste
• 2 tspn hot chilli sauce
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• Salt and pepper

1.  Combine mince, onion, 1 tbspn tomato paste, 1 tspn chilli sauce, lemon juice, breadcrumbs, basil, half the rice and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Shape a small handful of the mixture into balls and then roll them in a bowl filled with the extra rice.  Place meatballs on a tray and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce.

2.  Combine tomatoes, 1 tbspn tomato paste, 1 tspn chilli sauce and stock in a deep frying pan. Slowly bring to the boil and then drop meatballs into the sauce.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender.  Serve.

I only used 1 cup of stock but the rice absorbed too much liquid and I had to add another during cooking.  So I added another cup to the recipe above.  Some of the meatballs fell apart when I tried to turn so you could an egg to the mix to help hold it together if you wanted to.  These are a meal on their own really, but we served ours with some roasted potato, sweet potato, left over damper and a glass of red wine.  Delicious!