Porcupine Balls with Mashed Potatoes
Porcupine Balls with Mashed Potatoes is a classic American comfort food dish, featuring ground beef and rice meatballs simmered in a savory tomato-based sauce, served alongside creamy mashed potatoes. The dish gets its name from the rice grains that poke out from the meatballs during cooking, resembling porcupine quills. It's a hearty, one-pot style meal that's been a staple in home cooking for decades.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This is a high-protein, moderately high-carb dish, with the meatballs providing substantial protein and the rice and mashed potatoes contributing significant carbohydrates. A typical serving offers a good amount of iron, B vitamins from the beef, and potassium from the potatoes, with a calorie range generally between 400-600 kcal per serving.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 480 kcal |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 750 mg |
| Iron | 4.2 mg |
| Potassium | 680 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 mcg |
| Zinc | 5.1 mg |
| Phosphorus | 290 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 7.5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg |
| Selenium | 22 mcg |
Per 1 serving (about 2 meatballs with sauce and 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, approx. 300 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
The 'porcupine' effect is a clever and natural result of using uncooked rice in the meatballs, which expands and creates the signature spiky texture without any special technique. Nutritionally, it's a balanced plate that combines protein, starch, and vegetables (from the tomato sauce) in a single, satisfying meal.
