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Original Message
"OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 01:02 PM
Of course I had to do a soup, and since most of us are still in the cold and dark or winter ( * kicks a groundhog*) this soup is warm and sticks to your ribs.
Those of you who have a thing for measurements will be dissapointed in me, since there aren't many, but it is a good, "add your own stuff" recipe. I make this quite often when it's cold.


1 lb. ground burger ( or turkey - and I have a friend who once made this using sausage, and loved it)

1 cup uncooked white rice

4 or 5 cans beef broth ( how brothy do you want it?)

about a cup chopped onions ( or less, or more). Chopped, not diced small, not too chunky

2 diced garlic cloves ( or more, or less or not, if you don't like)

Pat of butter

salt and pepper ( I don't know how much)

Fresh or cut frozen green beans - not canned, they don't hold up
( I don't know how much ,a handfull, a cup and a half)
Cut fresh ones to about an inch in length.


Saute onions and garlic in butter in your soup pot, til kinda soft, then add your broth. Crumble ground beef in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste, mix with uncooked rice. Form meatballs about an inch 1/2 in size, you want them to be small enough to fit on your spoon.
Heat broth to simmering, then gently add your meatballs, put a lid on your pot and leave it alone for 20 minutes.
Then you can add your green beans, give it a stir, add some Love ( that's an important step in soup making) and let it simmer some without the lid, about 10 minutes or so.
Some of the rice fell of the meatballs, that is okay it thickens the broth.

Serve with biscuts or warm french bread.

Additions! I have added a can of diced tomatoes, it's good, but it's different. I have added chopped fresh mushrooms, it's good but the child hates it that way. I have added chopped carrots, the kid likes it, but I think it changes the flavor too much.
I have added garlic to the meatballs, they are better in the broth. I have added some chili powder to the meatballs with mixed reviews.
Add what you like, but I've found that it's actually better plain. I know some of you will be tempted to omit the butter, but it adds a richness to the broth and you don't have to use much.


Pictures forthcoming, I was planning on making this tonight, but the child used up all my canned broth so I need a trip to the store.

Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"I <3 Buggy"
Posted by jbug on 02-05-10 at 01:17 PM
This is one I might be able to make!!!!
but.... (like you didn't know that was coming)

I don't like green beans
suggested substitutions? (I lurve potatoes)


Elvis in In The House - Capt'n 2010

"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-05-10 at 01:19 PM

Jbug, try any vegetable that you normally like in soup. Corn or peas, anything.



"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 01:35 PM
Peas is good ( just not canned) but potatoes or corn makes it too starchy with the rice. But, you try what you like and let me know how it is. You may want to do carrots, or just leave the vegi out altogether and have a veg on the side.

"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by jbug on 02-05-10 at 02:47 PM
I like carrots
"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 03:08 PM
If you use carrots, go ahead and put them in when you add the meatballs.

"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-05-10 at 01:45 PM
I was going to say lima beans or corn.

What exactly is it that you do eat?


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by jbug on 02-05-10 at 02:49 PM
I could do the lima beans or the corn
I won't eat lima beans all by their lonesome but will eat them in soup.

I was a very picky eater as a child - meat & potatoes.
I've come a long way baby! I now eat brussel sprouts, and brocholli & califlower and cabbage and ..... (just not green beans or english peas or any kind of peas really)

"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by frodis on 02-05-10 at 03:12 PM
You might like the shredded veggie mix I used in my Pad Thai last night. It's called broccoli slaw and it was just a mix of shredded broccoli and carrots. It was really tasty and crunchy in the Pad Thai but I fully intend to toss it into something else as soon as I make something to toss it into. (Chili, soup, whatever.)

For what it's worth, potatoes and corn aren't really vegetables. They're starches. Corn is actually a grain.

I know, I know, nitpickey. I'm feeling a little persnickety today otherwise I wouldn't be picking that nit. But also the nutrition info I've read says that if you're trying to eat a veggie, corn doesn't count.


"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-05-10 at 03:48 PM
I'm with you on this frodis.

When I did LA Weightloss a few years ago potatoes and corn were listed as starches, of which I was allowed to have two servings per day as oppposed to 4 servings of veggies per day.

I still eat that way.

A serving of mashed potatoes is 1/4 cup. I know that sounds like it's not worth it but one does get used to serving sizes eventually.

"RE: I <3 Buggy"
Posted by Tummy on 02-05-10 at 06:49 PM
Fro - I buy that broccoli slaw and use it for chinese slaw. I can eat it buy it's self. Mmmmm. Love that it's super crunchy.
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-05-10 at 01:18 PM

This sounds good, Buggy. I have all the ingredients, so I'll probably make it tomorrow, as I already have chili and turkey barley soup in the fridge.


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-05-10 at 01:44 PM
And you were stumped! Looks wonderful, especially since we're so cold here in Virginia!


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by weltek on 02-05-10 at 02:04 PM
Nolay will love this, even though he's not a big soup guy. I also love it because I currently have a bazillion lbs. of ground beef in the freezer.

I will be adding shrooms and garlic. BIL also gave us some homemade beef stock for Christmas, and I'll be using that, so it will be extra good!

I'm a big weirded out by the green beans, for some odd reason, but I'll give it a whirl. Buggy knows what she's talkin' about when it comes to soup.


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by jbug on 02-05-10 at 02:52 PM
glad I'm not the only one weirded out big by the green beans
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 03:07 PM
You hush!


Laugh!

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Karchita on 02-05-10 at 04:32 PM
LAST EDITED ON 02-05-10 AT 04:33 PM (EST)

I am weirded out by the green beans.

The soup looks delicious and I will make it, but not with green beans. The problem is that we had a bumper crop from the garden last summer and I O.D.-ed on them. I froze a bunch, but somehow they turned funky. Not rotten and not freezer burnt, but not right. And now I don't want to eat them anymore, (except for my green bean pickles). I would eat fresh ones, but unfortunately, after last summer, green beans are now categorized with zucchini as vegetables for which I will not pay money.

I may try spinach or tomatoes. It's good to have options.


Edited because I apparently cannot spell nor proofread.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-07-10 at 06:13 PM
Green Bean Pickles? Oh, do tell.
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by sica077 on 02-07-10 at 10:55 PM
Ohhh, yummy! 'Round here we call them Dilly Beans, but I bet they are similar to what Karchita is referencing. I couldn't tell you how to make them, but they are delicious
"you asked for it "
Posted by Karchita on 02-08-10 at 04:42 PM
We call them dilly beans, too. They are a bit of a PITA to make, but well worth it. They cost a small fortune in the grocery store, plus I can make them super spicy, which is how I like them. I usually need a whole afternoon or evening to make these, but then I am set with all the green bean pickles I need for a year.

How much canning experience do you have? If you haven't ever canned, it may seem like a lot of steps and you'll need some special equipment. This is a really good overview of canning and the cutest old lady imaginable: http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Canning/index.html

Dilly Bean Pickles

Makes about 10 12 oz jars

4 pounds straight green beans, as fresh and straight as possible

For each 12 oz jar:
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp whole mustard seeds
head and leaves of one small-med stalk of dill (or ½ tsp whole dill seed)
1 clove garlic, whole

For water pack:
5 cups white vinegar
5 cups filtered or bottled water (not tap water)
½ cup non-iodized salt (sea salt or the cheap table salt)

Wash and trim beans carefully to just shorter than the height of your jars. It’s better to trim them too short than too long. Half the length of the jars works well, too, but I like how they look when longer. (I usually do one jar with all the scrap ends just to use them up.)

Blanch beans and garlic. Beans should still be crisp. (I use the microwave for this and work in small batches.) Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and drain.

Sterilize jars by boiling for 10 minutes. Remove from bath and drain on a clean dish towel. Wash and rinse lids, but do not boil. Keep lids and rings in hot, not boiling water.

Distribute pepper, mustard seeds, dill, and garlic in jars. (Measure each into each jar for even distribution.)

Combine vinegar, water and salt and heat to boiling. Keep simmering.

Pack jars tightly with beans, making sure that none are sticking up above the fill line.

Ladle the salt and vinegar liquid over beans, filling to the fill line or 1/4" from the top. Cover beans with liquid completely. Wipe rims and place lids and rings on jars. Tighten only to point of slight resistance. Do not over tighten.

Process for 5 minutes. Start timing after water returns to boiling. Jars should be covered by at least 1” of water. Use a rack or folded kitchen towel in the bottom of processor and allow 2” between jars and sides of processor.

Remove carefully and place on a towel. Allow lids to ‘pop’ seal before handling. (This can take up to 24 hours.)



Bouquet by c2p

"RE: you asked for it "
Posted by Starshine on 02-08-10 at 05:01 PM
My tip (from having made chutneys)

Do this on a warm day when you can open the windows, when you boil vinegar the kitchen remembers it for quite a while!

"RE: you asked for it "
Posted by Karchita on 02-08-10 at 06:45 PM
lol.

I am sure that you are right. In general in these parts, if green beans are in season, it's warm enough to have the windows open so it's never come up for me.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by J Slice on 02-05-10 at 02:53 PM
This sounds nummy. Expect me to make it some time during the next week.

Quick question: What kind of white rice? Converted? Instant? Long grain? Short grain? What do you use? I have like 400 kinds of rice in my apartment.


Tribe's the man behind the curtain.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 03:06 PM
Long grain, don't use instant. and the one time I tried to make this with brown rice it turned out terrible.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-07-10 at 06:17 PM
LAST EDITED ON 02-07-10 AT 06:18 PM (EST)

I'm making this with what I think is basmati. I have a whole range of rice, each in its own little glass jar - except I was a knob and didn't mark them. I only cut out the cooking instructions from the bags without including what type of rice it was.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-08-10 at 06:47 PM
I was going to make this tonight and came to print it off. Gave it a quick read thru to see if tips had been posted and read the brown rice thing. *pout All I have in the house is brown rice. Now I'll have to wait until a trip to the grocers.
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by frodis on 02-05-10 at 03:17 PM
This sounds very yummy, Buggy. I may make it this weekend.

Mr. Fro does not like brothy soups, rather, he ends up leaving most of the broth behind. He's a poster boy for Chunky soup. So I might have to find a way to thicken it up if it's really brothy.

I also might throw in some spinach at the very end. This sounds like it could handle some spinach.



Cap'n2birdspatched!

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 03:36 PM
The rice that falls off the meatballs makes the broth pretty thick. See what you think.
I'd never thought of spinach, but I bet it'd be good.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by weltek on 02-05-10 at 04:16 PM
I agree, the spinach sounds yummy.


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Seana on 02-05-10 at 03:41 PM
This sounds great! I even have some meatballs that I made up and froze a while ago. I get the family packs of ground beef and make up and freeze tons of meatballs for the sake of convenience. I make them pretty small, too. Yay!

I'm really liking the cooking club. I stopped caring if DH would eat any of this stuff and I'm just making it for myself. He's just too picky.


Sig by tribephyl

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 05:07 PM
You can't use the already made meatballs silly, they don't have the rice in them.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Seana on 02-05-10 at 05:51 PM
By golly you're right! Thank-you for helping me avert a soup tragedy.

Now I need to get beef broth and rice. And more ground beef.

I'm going to try it with tomatoes, which reminds me of a meatball stew my mom used to make on cold days.


Wheel of tribe

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-05-10 at 03:44 PM
Oooh soup! I lurve soup. DH not so much but he'll try this.

I made some little spicy meatballs last week. I made lots of extras to freeze so I might use these but I'm intrigued by the mixing of the rice into the meatball.

Looks like I have some serious decisions to make.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-05-10 at 05:10 PM
They have to have the rice in them, otherwise it's just meatballs in broth and the texture is different.

Oh shoot! I'm sorry, I can't believe I am nagging people about meatballs, ignore me.

"Green Beans!!"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-05-10 at 04:50 PM
You people! I love green beans. Absolutely love them. I can eat them any way, I can eat them any day. I love to eat them raw. Love, love, love them.


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: Green Beans!!"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-08-10 at 08:55 AM

I like fresh or frozen green beans, but have developed a dislike for canned green beans. DH and DD like them canned, but DH will even eat canned asparagus. *shudder*

I love peas, but not canned. I'm thinking of adding some frozen spinach to this soup.


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-05-10 at 06:53 PM
Mmmm Buggy, this sounds really, really good. It almost looks like the ingredients for stuffed bell peppers so I might chunk up a couple of those and toss in instead of the green beans. Or maybe with the green beans too. I'd have to do fresh, I hate frozen green beans.
"A couple of questions"
Posted by frisky on 02-07-10 at 07:30 PM
1. Buggy, how much soup does this make?

2. 4-5 cans of broth - do you mean condensed, with water added, so 8-10 cans of liquid total? Or 4-5 cans of ready-to-cook broth?

3. Have you ever tried crock-potting this recipe? I'm thinking that I could transfer it to the crock after it's all assembled. Would it get yucky if it simmered for a long time?

4. How do we get Buggy Love for our meatball soups?


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"RE: A couple of questions"
Posted by Buggy on 02-08-10 at 09:41 AM
Oh gosh Frisky i don't know how much it makes, about 6 bowl fulls I guess.

I mean 4 or 5 cans ready to cook broth, I buy mine in the soup section, on the bottom shelf.

I don't think it would work good in the crockpot, the meatballs have to simmer at least 20 minutes to get the rice cooked.

You think happy thoughts of ladybugs and smiles while stirring.
A little dance doesn't hurt either. I usually just say outloud " now we add the Love"

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-08-10 at 09:32 AM
Made this last night. The house smelled devine from the moment I sauted the onions and garlic.

However, I'm afraid I may have committed a serious error because it didn't really work out.

It could have been the rice to broth ratio, or the meatballs were not the right size but I ended up with a pot full of exploded meatballs in a goopy mess.

I used a carton of broth and only 1/3 cup of rice as 1 cup of rice seemed like too much to me.

I used green beans and added some mushrooms.

It appeared like it would work, but I guess the gods were against me.


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-08-10 at 09:47 AM
ACK! I am so sorry. Maybe more broth, yikes I don't know.
The idea is for the meatballs to cook in the simmering broth before you stir them.

Did it at least taste okay?

I just looked up the original recipe that I'd adapted this from years ago. it says 25 minutes in boiling broth, but mine is usually a good simmer. It says long grained uncooked rice, I'm wondering if your rice was different.

Dang - my first OTCC entry and it's a FAIL!


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-08-10 at 09:57 AM
Oh goodness gracious, not a failure by any stretch of the imagination.

I simmered the meatballs without stirring them. I reasoned that when I cook rice I cover it on a simmer and don't touch it until its done.

But the expanding rice seemed to blow up the meatballs. I think it was basmati that I used.

I salvaged a few, and what I could save out of the pot was tasty - although I might change up the green beans for another veg in the future.

"YUMMMMM!"
Posted by qwertypie on 02-10-10 at 00:53 AM
No exploding meatballs -- I think Mr. Qwerty was a little disappointed

I added a little bit of pepper, cumin, ground mustard to the meatballs and used long grain parboiled rice.

For the veggies I added some mushroom, carrots, cauliflower.

Mr. Qwerty didn't lick his bowl clean, but I am sure he would if I weren't around.

I served this with homemade cheese biscuits.

Very rich, warm and yummy.

The kids will love this.

"Cumin"
Posted by weltek on 02-12-10 at 11:10 AM
What a good idea for an addition. I've been trying to use cumin in more dishes, as it can really amp up flavors quickly and can blend so nicely with other seasonings.


-A Tribetastic Creation

"Great Balls of Meat!"
Posted by Karchita on 02-10-10 at 10:43 PM
I made this for dinner tonight and it was simple to make and quite yummy. I don't know if I have ever made meatballs before and if I have, it's been decades. Talk about getting me out of my rut.

I made it with turkey since I don't eat beef, half the rice, and added generous amounts of cumin (thanks, qwerty!) and basil to the meatballs. I used chicken broth, doubled the garlic, and added maybe 1/3 cup each of diced celery and carrots. I also added a can of tomatoes and one of mushrooms. I skipped the green beans and decided it didn't need any other veggies.

After simmering, I thought the broth was a bit thin, so I added a 1/4 cup of uncooked rice and let it simmer another 15 minutes or so to cook the rice.

I don't know about using turkey. It was a bit dry, even before the extra simmering (so it's not that it was overcooked). I was glad that I added the spices to the meatballs because the broth was a little bland, although it made a good background to the spiciness of the turkeyballs. Maybe with beefballs, the broth would have more flavor.

Thank you very much, Buggy. This seems like the perfect recipe to experiment with and see if I can work the kinks out in the future. I am looking forward to seeing what the other OTCC chefs do with it.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: Great Balls of Meat!"
Posted by sharnina on 02-15-10 at 03:38 PM
Consider adding some grated zucchini or yellow squash to the meat mixture. I make turkey meatballs and simmer them in a tomato sauce and they hold up quite nicely.


Love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.
1 Peter 4:8 (The Message)

Shar's World

"RE: Great Balls of Meat!"
Posted by Karchita on 02-17-10 at 04:53 PM
That's a great idea. Thanks, Shar.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Snidget on 02-11-10 at 09:28 AM
Done.

I added a bit of chopped celery to the chopped onion as I had some to use up and it was just a bit too soft for raw snacking but would be good in soup.

I'm thinking I may do it again with chicken broth as I like that better than beef broth most of the time and I may play with some seasoning of the meatballs. I used my melon baller to scoop the meat balls and that worked well. I also did them a bit early and let them refrigerate until I was ready for dinner. I may also put more veggies in the left overs. I could have used more veggie chunks (used a cup of frozen green beans. I have some fresh asparagus that might be good in it and that can cook during the reheat).

Here is a picture.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-11-10 at 09:38 AM
Oooooooo, look at that sparkly broth!

I am making this tonight, will try to get some good pictures, but your pic turned out so nice, don't know if I could do as well.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-11-10 at 09:40 AM
That looks perfect! *hangs head in shame*
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Snidget on 02-11-10 at 09:48 AM
Because of your experience I really made sure to pack the meatballs well. I used a low fat ground beef and was concerned they were a little loose. I did them early so I'd have some leisure time to make them (rather than when I was impatient for dinner to be made already). I think sitting in the fridge helped firm them up a bit and while a lot of the rice fell off in the soup I do think they need quite a bit of rice to hold together. I was almost tempted to add an egg to the mix based on how they felt while I was making them, but decided to trust.
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-11-10 at 10:40 AM
Mmmm - that looks good. I got the white rice so I'm making this tonight. Thanks for the tip on refridgerating the meatballs. I'm going to mix ground turkey and ground beef together.
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by frisky on 02-11-10 at 01:25 PM
ooooo that does look lovely!

MC, maybe your balls exploded because of the basmati. Maybe it's not as starchy or something. I know that most commercial rice (long grain white) they put the coating of extra stuff on it as per FDA, like extra vitamins. Maybe that's the difference. Also, I think it would depend on the type of beef you're using. Regular ground beef would fall apart easier than lean or extra lean, no?


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Maroonclown on 02-11-10 at 04:15 PM
I used extra lean but I too thought the meatballs were a little loose. I may have to make this again with a long grain and let the meatballs rest a bit before plopping them in the broth.

Or would it work if I mixed cooked rice in with the balls?

It was friggin' tasty but not so pretty.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Buggy on 02-11-10 at 06:04 PM
Never made it with cooked rice, I think the texture would be wrong, but I'm not sure.
I am waiting for my broth to simmer now, have my meatablls made, and I noticed that I do roll them around in my hands a bit and pack them kinda tight to get all the rice in. I think adding an egg would help hold them together well, and I think the ricey goodness would still fall off the outside to help make the broth thicker.

I am making mine tonight with some chopped carrots ( Katie's request, she'll eat the green beans but she isn't a fan) and instead of canned tomatoes I used Rotell for an extra kick of heat ( it's snowing here).

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Seana on 02-14-10 at 12:51 PM
This is so good!

I made this today for lunch, since it seemed like it would be pretty quick. I made the meatballs with rice, as instructed.

It turned out really, really well. I thought I might have some difficulty with the rice à la MC, just because I thought I put in too much, but the meatballs stayed together and the rice fell off, as it was supposed to, and thickened up the broth.

I only made enough for myself, since my family...well, I love them and all, but they don't try new things. I find this frustrating. I have one helping left, which I will heat up tomorrow.

Thank-you Buggy! A nice quick homemade soup will be great to have as an option on cold days.


Wheel of tribe

"Made it - Yummm!"
Posted by Tummy on 02-15-10 at 12:48 PM
I made this Saturday - it was delish! I didn't do the green beans - the beans at the grocers just looked too wilted. I may try this with fresh green beans from the garden this summer.

I added cumin and chili powder to my meatballs - I made way too many meatballs so I have the hardest part of making this already prepped and in my freezer for a "I don't want to cook and don't want to go out" day.

I did add a can of roasted tomatoes and bell peppers. If you like stuffed bell peppers (which I do!) you'll love the recipe tweaked this way.

Pics:

Prepped meatballs -

And Soup -

I forgot to take pictures of the assembled ingredients. And to re-heat I'll have to add more broth as I think I had too much rice. And any excuse to make cornbread I use.

Thanks for a great recipe Buggy!

"RE: Made it - Yummm!"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-15-10 at 01:14 PM
That does look really good. I am making this coming weekend.


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: Made it - Yummm!"
Posted by Tummy on 02-15-10 at 01:59 PM
Oh, and I used half ground turkey and half lean ground beef and the meatballs did really well.
"Problem solve with me"
Posted by weltek on 02-17-10 at 01:47 PM
I want to make this tonight, and thawed out some burger to use. HOWEVER, this is burger from our purchased steer. It's about 15% fat. I usually drain and rinse it when using it for things like tacos. However, I obviously can't do that in this recipe. Will it be too fatty? Here are the options I'm thinking of:

1) Try it and eat the fatty soup. If so, should I omit the butter at least in the original servings (skim fat off leftovers and add the butter then?)?

2) Wait until the weekend when I could cook the soup, cool it, and skim fat off.

3) Buy a package of leaner burger. Since I have about 35 lbs of burger already in my freezer, this seems like a silly waste of money.

Other ideas?


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: Problem solve with me"
Posted by Tummy on 02-17-10 at 02:04 PM
Look at it that you're using hamburger that's 85% lean.

Seriously, is it really, really fatty? I wouldn't omit the butter. I'd probably just go ahead and try it and then if it's too fatty put it in the fridge for a little bit and then skim.

"RE: Problem solve with me"
Posted by weltek on 02-17-10 at 03:08 PM
It's not SUPER fatty (like there's not a huge pool of fat when I cook it). I'm nervous, hold me.



-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: Problem solve with me"
Posted by Tummy on 02-17-10 at 04:31 PM
*hugs weltek hands her a large glass of wine

It'll be ok - sweetie.

Somehow after The Big Bang Theory "sweetie" seems a lot funnier now.

"It worked!"
Posted by weltek on 02-18-10 at 03:23 PM
The wine and holding helped.

Will post a pic later, but:

-The regular ground beef worked out fine. It didn't taste greasy.
-The balls stayed nicely shapped, as according to recipe. No explosions. I did not refrigerate, just went straight from mixing, into a small cookie scooper (could've even been a hair smaller), into the broth.
-I added cumin, seasoned salt, pepper, and a little oregano to the meatballs. Made a yummy taste difference, I think, so thanks for the cumin suggestion, OT!
-Added mushrooms and spinach. Both were not necessary, but very good.
-Added lots and lots of garlic to the broth and a little seasoned salt. Fresh ground pepper to finish.
-Added about 5 and 1/2 cans broth total (made from a jar of BIL's homemade beef stock and then powdered granules/water).
-Tried half a bowl with a little balsamic drizzled in and it was yummy.

We gave this two thumbs up for a good "depths-of-winter" soup. Thanks, Buggy!



-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by frisky on 02-17-10 at 04:51 PM
LAST EDITED ON 02-17-10 AT 04:56 PM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 02-17-10 AT 04:54 PM (EST)

Buggy, thank you for this recipe. This was like a warm hug on a cold day!

I stole Tummy's idea of using stewed tomatoes and green peppers to mimic a stuffed pepper. I also threw in some 'shrooms. My photo essay:

Ingredients

Everything chopped and prepped

I sauteed the onions and garlic first, until soft and fragrant

Then I added the remaining vegetalia

I stirred in the broth and the stewed tomatoes, and I let this simmer while I made the meatballs and chilled them for a bit in the fridge.

Then I added the balls to the bubbling brew

I covered the pot and then went to work on the bisquits. Not just any bisquits, though. I made Garlic Cheese Bisquits a la Red Lobster. They're very quick and easy -- just a few ingredients required:

Mix 2 cups of Bisquick Baking Mix, 2/3 cup milk, and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Mix until a soft dough forms, then beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup butter and a couple of scored garlic bulbs (the recipe calls for 1/4 tsp garlic powder, but I'm a garlic snob and only use fresh).

Nuke for about a minute and stir. Remove bisquits from oven when they're done, and immediately brush garlic butter over them. Slather well.

That's it! Voi to the la!

The boy devoured his bowl of Buggy Ball Soup and asked for seconds. DH was drooling on the way out the door while it was cooking and begged me to save him some for after work. I had thirds.

Thank you Buggy!

ETA: Okay, just realized that the lighting was way bad for that final pic, and the Buggy Balls look fuzzy. I assure you, they are not. They are a rich brown colour with little dots of white rice.


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.
Edited to swap out Starshine for Tummy.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-18-10 at 11:26 AM
Great pics Friskers! And I love RL bisquits.

And I did notice you gave Starshine credit for the stuffed peppers but I wasn't going to say anything. *grin I really liked the flavor with the bell peppers. I'll have a hard time changing to anything else.

Love - Fuzzy Buggy Balls. *snicker

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by grit on 02-18-10 at 11:31 AM
I'm still laughing over "vegetalia" - it sounded dirty to me...
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-18-10 at 11:34 AM
We're such 12 yr old boys!
"*raises hand*"
Posted by weltek on 02-18-10 at 03:24 PM
I thought the same thing.

-A Tribetastic Creation
"Vegetalia"
Posted by Karchita on 02-18-10 at 08:34 PM

Yes, I am a total 12 year old.


Please don't be mad at me, Buggy, for being dirty in your thread.

"RE: Vegetalia"
Posted by frisky on 02-19-10 at 01:04 AM
HA!! *slaps hind knee*

Love it!


Perpetual *headbutt* compliments of Rolly.

"RE: Vegetalia"
Posted by Puffy on 02-19-10 at 01:53 AM
I cracked up over "vegetalia" also. Loved Karchita's picture!

Here's a roll you might want to serve with Buggy's soup.


"RE: Vegetalia"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-20-10 at 02:57 PM

Well at least it's circumcised.


"RE: Vegetalia"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-19-10 at 02:07 AM

Yes, I am a total 12 year old.

You forgot the boy part. You are a total 12 year old boy.

Please don't be mad at me, Buggy, for being dirty in your thread.

ROTFLMAO!


And here I was going to invite my church friends over for these OTCC threads.

"Swooouuup"
Posted by newsomewayne on 02-18-10 at 03:39 PM
Soup Swoop.
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by sharnina on 02-18-10 at 03:41 PM
I made this last night. I used brown rice because that's all I had. I parboiled it first so that it would cook all the way through with the meat.

Ingredients I used;

Meatballs;
Ground Turkey
just a bit of bread crumbs
brown rice - barboiled (drained) for about 10 min.
egg
basil/oregano/thyme
salt/pepper

broth;
onion
celery
carrots
chicken stock
basil/thyme/oregano
salt/pepper
cabbage

My family loved this and I'm so grateful that my girls are willing to try things they think they might not like - like cabbage.

I'm going to try it next week with your original ingredients.


Love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.
1 Peter 4:8 (The Message)

Shar's World

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by weltek on 02-18-10 at 04:38 PM
Cabbage-what a good idea!
I had some, too. *kicks self*


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-19-10 at 02:38 AM
LAST EDITED ON 02-20-10 AT 08:53 PM (EST)

Okay, I made this the other night. I used everything you have in the original recipe, except I used Success brown rice. Since it cooks in 10 minutes, I thought this would work. I don't eat white rice at all anymore.

1 lb lean ground beef
about 2/3 cup Success brown rice, taken out of the boiling bag
2 cartons of beef broth (1 qt cartons, Aldi $1.29 each)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
pat of butter
Salt and pepper
frozen green beans, from Aldi, snapped in half


Simmering broth


Buggy balls

I cooked it up like you said. DD and I each ate a bowl, and we had plenty left, so the next day I scooped the solid pieces of fat out, and put in a can of diced tomatoes, and about a cup or so of cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots). I cooked it until the cabbage was done, and it was very tasty. The meatballs were fine with the Success rice in them, too.

DH liked it a lot. Thanks, Buggy!


DD gets special mention for taking the pictures.

"Photos"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 02-20-10 at 02:43 AM

*looks up*

*bumps thread*



An IceCat original, 2009

"RE: Photos"
Posted by Karchita on 02-20-10 at 11:48 AM
Well done! Your DD has a talent with the camera. I really like the meatball shot.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-20-10 at 04:40 PM
Great photos! and good to know you can use Boil-n-bag!
"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-22-10 at 09:45 AM
I made this yesterday. I did take pictures, which will likely not be posted until next winter (*waves to Byoffer*).

I did not make any changes from the original. I used 90/10 beef. I normally buy 92/8 or even 95/5 when I'm lucky. They were out of both and 90/10 was the leanest. I think I would have liked more onion and garlic. My meat yielded 45 balls. *obligatory giggle* I think I could have gotten 50. I used real butter - about a tablespoon. I also used three kinds of broth: 1/2 can of Campbells left over from another recipe, 3 cans of Swanson 50% less sodium, and 1 cardboard carton of some I picked up from Whole Foods. So I had a lot of broth. I like broth. I also used an entire bag of frozen green beans.

This has now moved up to Number 1 on DH's OTCC list. He ate two bowls for lunch. I also have plenty for lunch this week.

Next time I will use mushrooms - I just didn't have any. And I might just try a bag of mixed veggies instead of just green beans.

Great Soup Buggy!


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by dragonflies on 02-22-10 at 01:34 PM
Finally got around to making this. I adlibbed a bit, as we don't eat frozen green beans. So I put in diced tomatoes and mushrooms. Also tried the cumin. Yummy! Got 4 thums up!


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by frodis on 02-23-10 at 09:54 AM
I made this on Sunday!

It was very tasty. Mr. Fro took leftovers for lunch today.

I didn't have frozen green beans (I thought I did, oops) but I did have a bag of frozen mixed veggies (which contained green beans) so I used those.

My meatballs fell apart a bit but I think that's because I didn't smoosh them together very tightly.

I mostly followed the recipe, but at the end I put in a few splotches of ketchup and a few shakes of worcestershire sauce. I liked the flavor.

Thanks, Buggy! This is a perfect cold weather Sunday simple meal!

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-23-10 at 10:04 AM
How were your veggies? I think that's the route I'm going to go next time.

We had leftovers last night with grilled ham & swiss sandwiches. I still have more soup.


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by frodis on 02-23-10 at 10:14 AM
I liked the mixed veggies and would probably use them again. I usually have frozen mixed veggies around more often than single-strains of veggies.

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by arkiegrl on 02-23-10 at 05:08 PM
I made the soup today. Yummy!
I didn't go very far from Buggy's ingredients, other than adding 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne to the meatballs, adding 1 cup of carrots with the 1 cup of green beans, and one can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes.

As soon as the 10 minutes of simmering after adding veggies was up, I had to have a bowl right away, which resulted in a burnt tongue from one of the meatballs. I also like my green beans cooked to a softer degree than what they came out. But the second bowl, they had time to keep cooking, and it's perfection! Thanks, Buggy!

The finished product:

"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by samboohoo on 02-28-10 at 11:48 AM
I forgot my pic last week:


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"RE: OTCC - Meatball Soup"
Posted by Tummy on 02-28-10 at 11:51 AM
It's interesting how everyone's soup looks just a tad bit different.

- and that's alota green beans! You do like the beans.