Red Thai Meatballs
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you look at your calendar and think “how is it Friday already?” I’ve been asking myself this every week since the start of the year.
Somewhere in my busy week schedule…. you know, between work, errands, gym, extracurricular activities, and blogging, I have to fit in dinner. And while I may be a food blogger, sometimes getting a wholesome meal on the table at a reasonable hour is a huge task… Just ask J, there have been plenty of nights we don’t eat much before 8pm!
January was particularly hard. I would start the week with good intentions… I’m talking shopping done, menu planned, vegetables prepped… but boy did it go downhill fast! By the time Thursday rolled round I was ready to throw in the towel and finish the week off by ordering takeout. I don’t know about you but I do love me some sushi… and Indian… and pizza!
Luckily I was able to see my plans through more often than not, and let me tell you, it felt reeeeally good. There is something so satisfying about pulling together a homemade meal regardless of how busy, worn out, or tired I am… it makes for a very exciting #WeekdayWin!
The key to staying on-track is easy meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less. I’ve developed a lot of extravagant and flavourful recipes for this blog (like this braised rabbit or this lamb shoulder), but lets be honest, I simply don’t have time to cook like that during the week! Enter my weeknight staple – rice! Whether you are looking for something fancy or casual, Minute Rice can ensure you are winning every night of the week, after all, you’re already 1/3 of the way there!
Inspired by their new Jasmine Minute Rice (which comes directly from Thailand and bears the Thai Hom Mali seal of authenticity and quality), I created a Red Thai Meatball recipe that is not only ready in 30 minutes, but is a meal the whole family will love! Forget the Thai takeout, this meal is a weekday win!
Red Thai Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
Simple homemade meatballs are taken up a notch in a subtle red Thai curry sauce, and served atop a bed of fragrant Jasmine rice. If you are looking dinner in a flash simply use a box of frozen meatballs in place of the homemade.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
Red Thai Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
- 1 – 1 1/4 cup hot water
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- Garnish: Lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro
Rice:
- 2 pouches Jasmine Minute Rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking tray with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine beef, seasoning, onion, garlic breadcrumbs and egg; mix all ingredients until incorporated. Shape mixture into 1½ inch meatballs. Place 1 inch apart on pan.
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until meatballs reach 160°F, are cooked through and center is no longer pink.
- While the meatballs bake prepare the red curry sauce and the Jasmine Minute Rice (as per package instructions).
- Add olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add the red curry paste and tomato paste to the pan, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour hot water into pan and stir thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are done. If the sauce starts to thicken too much simply add more hot water.
- Remove meatballs from oven and transfer them to pan with curry mixture. Spoon sauce over meatballs until coated/covered.
- Serve meatballs over Jasmine rice with a squeeze of lime and fresh chopped cilantro.
How do you go for the win? #WeekdayWin
