Ground meat isn't just for meatballs; it's also great for dozens of other interesting dishes. And there are actually many more variations of meatballs than immediately come to mind. Here are 20 quick and delicious recipes to make with ground pork!
1. Stuffed Bell Peppers
A beautiful homemade dish – always a winning option!
You will need: 4 bell peppers, 500 g ground pork, 200 g rice, 1 L tomato juice, 1 carrot, 300 g sour cream, 70 g sugar, spices.
Preparation: Mix the cooked rice with the ground pork and fill the cleaned peppers. Cover each pepper with its cut-off top and place them in a pot on a layer of grated carrots. Pour tomato juice over everything and simmer for about an hour. Halfway through, add spices to taste, and at the end, add sour cream and sugar.
2. Eggplant with Ground Pork
Add plenty of spices to make the appetizer even more aromatic.
You will need: 300 g ground pork, 2 eggplants, 100 g white bread, 1 onion, 1 egg, 3 cloves garlic, 10 ml vinegar, cheese, 350 g tomatoes, butter, flour.
Preparation: Add bread, garlic, onion, vinegar, and egg to the ground pork, and form elongated patties. Bake them in the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Slice the eggplants lengthwise and soak them in salted water for half an hour.
Dredge each slice in flour, fry in butter, and wrap the patties in them. Place the appetizer in a baking dish, sprinkle with grated tomatoes, cheese, and spices, and bake for another 15 minutes.
3. Casserole with Ground Pork and Beans
A delicious dish made from simple ingredients that are definitely in your fridge!
You will need: 500 g ground pork, 100 g rice, 400 g green beans, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, a bunch of herbs, 1 egg, 300 g 20% sour cream, spices, 2 tomatoes, 100 g cheese, breadcrumbs.
Preparation: Fry the ground pork with onion, garlic, and spices, and parboil the green beans until slightly tender. Add the egg, cooked rice, 100 g sour cream, and chopped herbs to the ground pork.
Grease a baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, then layer the ground pork and green beans. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, then arrange tomato slices on top, sprinkle with cheese, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
4. Pears with Ground Pork
A rather unexpected but very interesting recipe for what else you can make with ground pork!
You will need: 3 pears, 300 g ground pork, 1 onion, 50 g cheese, 2 cherry tomatoes, spices.
Preparation: Mix the ground pork with onion and spices, and fill the hollowed-out pear halves. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Top with a slice of cherry tomato, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes.
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5. Pork Meatballs with Rice
Optionally, replace rice with bulgur or add some different vegetables.
You will need: 500 g ground pork, 200 g rice, 1 onion, 1 egg, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, spices, 200 g sour cream.
Preparation: Cook the rice, finely dice the onion, and grate the carrot on a fine grater. Add all of this to the ground pork, along with the egg, salt, and spices. Form meatballs, place them in a deep skillet, add water, and cook for 20 minutes. Mix the peeled grated tomato with sour cream, pour over the meatballs, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
6. Ground Pork Kebab
A quick and easy recipe for lazy weekends!
You will need: 1 kg ground pork, 2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 egg, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp each of oregano, pepper, and cumin.
Preparation: Mix the ground pork with minced onion, garlic, egg, and spices. Divide it into approximately 10 portions, form kebabs, and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius until beautifully golden brown.
7. Bolognese Pancakes with Ground Pork
An excellent option for a savory pancake filling!
You will need: 250 g flour, 2 eggs, 600 ml milk, 600 g ground pork, 2 onions, 150 g mushrooms, 400 g crushed tomatoes, spices.
Preparation: Mix the dough from milk, eggs, and flour, and add salt and sugar to taste. Fry the pancakes and let them rest for a bit. Fry the ground pork with onion and mushrooms, add tomatoes with spices, and simmer until cooked through. Roll up the pancakes, sprinkle with cheese if desired, and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
8. Greek Keftedes
These are small Greek meatballs with apple and mint.
You will need: 700 g ground pork, 200 g white bread, 125 ml milk, 1 bunch parsley, half a bunch mint, 2 eggs, 1 apple, 1 onion.
Preparation: Soak the bread in milk, chop the herbs, and peel and grate the apple and onion. Mix all ingredients, add eggs and spices, and thoroughly beat the ground pork against the table. Form small meatballs no larger than a plum and fry in olive oil.
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9. Zrazy with Ground Pork
The filling can also be different – for example, made from vegetables.
You will need: 0.5 cup flour, 1/3 cup milk, 1 tbsp butter, 2 eggs, 50 g cheese, 300 g ground pork, 1 slice white bread, spices, herbs.
Preparation: Add spices and soaked bread to the ground pork. Boil 1 egg, grate it, and mix with grated cheese, butter, and herbs. Place 1 tbsp of ground pork, 1 tsp of filling, and form zrazy. Dip each in a batter of 1 egg, milk, and flour, and fry.
10. Scotch Eggs
A very interesting national recipe with ground pork to surprise guests and family.
You will need: 8 eggs, 1 kg ground pork, 4 tbsp flour, 225 g breadcrumbs, 150 ml oil, spices.
Preparation: Boil and peel 6 eggs. Divide the ground pork into 6 portions, form flat patties, and place an egg inside each. Whisk the remaining 2 eggs and dip the patties in them. Roll each in flour and spices, then in breadcrumbs, and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Fry them in plenty of oil, like deep-frying, until a beautiful crust forms.
11. Stuffed Mushrooms
For this recipe, choose larger mushrooms with intact, large caps.
You will need: 500 g champignons, 200 g ground pork, half an onion, cheese, mayonnaise.
Preparation: Separate the mushroom stems, clean out the caps, season with salt and pepper. Add fried onion and chopped stems to the ground pork, then fill the caps. Spread mayonnaise on top, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake in the oven for half an hour at 180 degrees Celsius.
12. Ground Pork and Cheese Appetizer
Equally good for everyday or a festive table!
You will need: 500 g ground pork, 2 wafer sheets, 5 eggs, 200 g cheese, 1 bunch dill, 1 tsp mixed herbs, a pinch of salt, dried garlic, and pepper.
Preparation: Add one egg and spices to the ground pork, grate the cheese, and chop the dill. Spread ground pork on half of a wafer sheet, and cheese and herbs on the other half. Let them sit for 10 minutes, roll them up, wrap in cling film, and freeze for 2 hours. Slice each roll into thin pieces, dip the pieces in beaten eggs, and fry.
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13. Lazy Lavash Lasagna
You won't even have to spend time making dough.
You will need: 300 g ground pork, thin Armenian lavash, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 0.5 cup milk, 1 tbsp flour, salt, herbs, cheese.
Preparation: Lightly fry the ground pork with spices, transfer to a plate, and in the same pan, fry the minced onion with tomato and herbs. Mix milk with flour, bring to a boil, and simmer slightly until the sauce thickens. Layer lavash, ground pork, lavash, vegetables, lavash, then pour milk over the top, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake for half an hour at 180 degrees Celsius.
14. Potato and Ground Pork Casserole
A quick and very hearty variation of shepherd's or cottage pie.
You will need: 2 carrots, a handful of frozen peas, 1 onion, 300 g ground pork, 1 eggplant, milk, herbs, 7 potatoes, 2 tomatoes, 50 g cheese, butter, 1 bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 egg, spices.
Preparation: Boil potatoes, and in the meantime, finely chop all vegetables, mix them with ground pork and spices, and fry for 5 minutes. Mash the potatoes into a puree, add the egg, hot milk, and 30 g butter, and mash again. Place the ground pork with vegetables in a baking dish, then the mashed potatoes on top, then cheese, and bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
15. Zucchini Chebureks with Ground Pork
Another original and delicious dish that can be made with ground pork!
You will need: 500 g zucchini, 1 onion, 350 ml milk, 2 eggs, spices, herbs, 250 g flour, 200 g ground pork, oil.
Preparation: Grate zucchini and onion, add spices, herbs, flour, salt, eggs, and 70 ml vegetable oil. Separately fry the ground pork until half-cooked. Pour a portion of the batter onto a pan, and when it slightly sets, place the filling on one half, cover with the free edge, press down, and fry until golden.
16. Ground Pork Kufta
This Armenian dish is notable for its abundance of spices and aromas.
You will need: 500 g ground pork, 1 shallot, 3 cloves garlic, 1 piece fresh ginger, 4 tbsp sweet chili sauce, 1 tbsp corn flour, 2 tbsp each of mint, cilantro, chives, fish sauce, and brown sugar.
Preparation: Finely chop the shallot and garlic, grate the ginger, and chop the herbs and chives. Mix all of this with the ground pork, add fish sauce, and form small balls. Refrigerate the balls for 15 minutes, roll them in corn flour, place in a skillet, pour sauce with sugar over them, and fry until caramelized.
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17. Draniki with Ground Pork
A hearty and simple homemade recipe to feed the whole family deliciously.
You will need: 300 g ground pork, 600 g potatoes, 2 eggs, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, spices.
Preparation: Grate the potatoes, add ground pork, eggs, spices, crushed garlic, and chopped onion. Fry them like regular draniki, then put them all back into the pan without oil, add 3 tbsp of water, and simmer under a lid for another 7 minutes.
18. Cabbage Casserole with Ground Pork and Mushrooms
A new alternative to boring lazy cabbage rolls.
You will need: 800 g cabbage, 2 cups water, 125 g rice, 200 g ground pork, 100 g mushrooms, 1 onion, 100 g cheese, 2 tsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp semolina, 1 tsp flour, 2 eggs.
Preparation: Thinly shred the cabbage and simmer with water and tomato paste until half-cooked. Add rice and continue to simmer, and when it's ready, add semolina and spices. Separately fry the ground pork with onion and mushrooms.
Mix the cooled cabbage with a beaten egg and place half in a baking dish. Then, add a layer of ground pork, the remaining cabbage, and grated cheese. Bake for half an hour at 180-200 degrees Celsius.
19. Polpette with Ground Pork in Tomato Sauce
Small Italian meatballs pair wonderfully with any side dish.
You will need: 600 g ground pork, 5 eggs, 3 tbsp breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp dried basil, 2 red peppers, 500 ml canned tomatoes, chili flakes.
Preparation: Blend the peppers with tomatoes until smooth and bring to a boil. Separately whisk the eggs until foamy, add ground pork, spices, and breadcrumbs. Form meatballs the size of a walnut, place them in the sauce, and simmer for 40 minutes over low heat, then let them rest for another half an hour under the lid.
20. Hearty Soup with Ground Pork
A very delicious soup that's easy to make in just half an hour!
You will need: 200 g ground pork, 1 L water, 1 onion, 100 g mushrooms, 100 g processed cheese, spices, 2 potatoes.
Preparation: Fry the ground pork with onion, mushrooms, and spices for 5 minutes. Grate the potatoes on a coarse grater and add everything together to boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes, add processed cheese, and continue to cook until it completely melts.