Recipes and Cooking Soup & Chili Recipes Soup Southwestern Meatball Soup Be the first to rate & review! Green chiles and homemade meatballs make this ground beef and rice recipe a dish to remember. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on April 27, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 10 cups Jump to Nutrition Facts Our Southwestern Meatball Soup is the perfect go-to recipe, whether you're having a party or a simple night in. It's comforting and packed with green chiles, oregano, and ground ancho chile pepper for a little spice. Our make-ahead meatball recipe is enough for three recipes of this meatball soup. Separate the cooked meatballs into batches and freeze them for later. The best part? You can make this meatball soup recipe your own by adding any number of toppings. We suggest trying fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, sour cream, shredded pepper Jack cheese, and/or crumbled queso fresco or Cotija cheese. Ingredients 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chopped carrots ½ cup onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 portion Freezer Meatballs 32 ounces low-sodium beef broth 1 14.5-oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes 2 cups frozen roasted whole kernel corn 1 4-oz. can diced green chiles 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed 1 tsp, ground ancho chile pepper ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground cumin 1 8.8 ounce pouch cooked whole grain brown rice Toppings such as fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, sour cream, shredded pepper Jack cheese, and/or crumbled queso fresco or Cotija cheese (optional) Freezer Meatballs 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons milk 1 cup onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced ¾ cup fine dry bread crumbs 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 3 pounds ground beef, 85% Directions In a 4- to 6-qt. pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Freezer Meatballs and the next eight ingredients (through cumin). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; heat through. Serve with desired toppings. Freezer Meatballs This recipe makes three portions. Only one is required for our Southwestern Meatball Soup, but these are made to freeze! Make all three portions and save two for a rainy day. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two 15×10-inch baking pans with foil. In an extra-large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients (through pepper). Add ground beef; using clean hands, mix lightly until combined (do not overwork). Shape the beef mixture into 1-inch meatballs, using about 1 Tbsp. mixture for each meatball. Arrange in prepared pans. Bake until done (160°F), about 15 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks. Test Kitchen Tip: For perfectly sized meatballs, use a small cookie scoop to portion the meat mixture. Divide meatballs among three 1-gal. resealable plastic freezer bags or airtight containers. Seal and label. Lay bags flat and freeze for up to 3 months. Stuffed Meatball Variation For meatballs stuffed with cheese, prepare as directed in Step 1. Cut desired cheese (such as Gouda, provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, pepper Jack, feta, Muenster, or Swiss) into 1⁄2-inch cubes. Shape the meat mixture into balls as directed. Insert a cheese cube into each ball, sealing meat around the cheese. Continue with the recipe as directed. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 945 Calories 51g Fat 43g Carbs 76g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 945 % Daily Value * Total Fat 51.3g 66% Saturated Fat 18.2g 91% Cholesterol 310.7mg 104% Sodium 1551.3mg 67% Total Carbohydrate 43.3g 16% Dietary Fiber 5.1g 18% Total Sugars 8g Protein 75.6g Vitamin D 0.6mcg 3% Vitamin C 16.7mg 84% Calcium 184.2mg 14% Iron 9.1mg 51% Potassium 1380.7mg 29% Fatty acids, total trans 1.9g Vitamin D 27.9IU Alanine 4.4g Arginine 4.5g Ash 7.8g Aspartic acid 6.3g Caffeine 0mg Carotene, alpha 993.3mcg Choline, total 306.5mg Copper, Cu 0.4mg Cystine 0.8g Energy 3954.1kJ Fluoride, F 14.7mcg Folate, total 97.9mcg Glutamic acid 11.1g Glycine 4.5g Histidine 2.2g Isoleucine 3.1g Leucine 5.5g Lysine 5.5g Methionine 1.8g Magnesium, Mg 101.8mg Manganese, Mn 0.8mg Niacin 17.1mg Phosphorus, P 748.5mg Pantothenic acid 3.4mg Phenylalanine 2.8g Phytosterols 13.6mg Proline 3.7g Retinol 54.9mcg Selenium, Se 68mcg Serine 3g Starch 12.2g Theobromine 0mg Threonine 2.8g Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.5mg Tryptophan 0.4g Tyrosine 2.2g Valine 3.5g Vitamin A, IU 4906.7IU Vitamin A, RAE 290.9mcg Vitamin B-12 6.9mcg Vitamin B-6 1.5mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 15.6mcg Water 475.9g Zinc, Zn 16.5mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.