Best Ever Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

---

Perfect over spaghetti or another pasta, these light yet savory meatballs are also surprisingly good served over steaming hot couscous, quartered baked potatoes, or packed into a split toasted sub roll.

---

Steps

---

To make meatballs: in a bowl , stir rice into 4 cups boiling water.

---

Set aside for 30 minutes to soak.

---

Drain well.

---

Return rice to bowl.

---

Add remaining ingredients , except oil , and mix well.

---

Form into 16 balls , each about 2 inch in diameter.

---

In a large nonstick skillet , heat oil over medium high heat.

---

Add meatballs , in batches , and brown on all sides.

---

Transfer to slow cooker.

---

Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

---

To make tomato sauce: reduce heat to medium.

---

Add onions to pan and cook , stirring until softened.

---

Add garlic , oregano , salt , peppercorns and cinnamon stick and cook , stirring , for 1 minute.

---

Stir in tomatoes and lemon juice and bring to a boil , breaking up tomatoes with a spoon as they cook.

---

Pour sauce over meatballs.

---

Cover and cook on high 4 hours or on low for 8 hours , until meatballs are no longer pink inside.

---

Discard cinnamon stick.

---

Ingredients

---

converted long grain rice, lean ground beef, eggs, onion, garlic cloves, dried oregano leaves, ground cumin, salt, fresh ground black pepper, vegetable oil, onions, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, lemon juice