Mom's Rice & Meatballs (With Pickles)

My husband's Mother has been making this recipe for years and I don't know exactly where she found it, but he seems to want me to make it for every special event in his life. Keep in mind that the saltine crackers, condensed soup and pickles all have a lot of salt, so you don't need to add a lot to the meat. I've made this recipe in a pot on the stove (simmer about an hour) or in the crock pot on low for 4 hours; works well either way. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 4 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 8 Small Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1  lb ground beef
• 1  egg
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄2 small onion, diced
• 4  dill pickle spears, diced
• 1  cup  saltine crackers, crushed
• 1  teaspoon dried parsley
•  salt
• 1  teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 (8 ounce) cans  condensed cream of celery soup
• 8  ounces water
• 2  tablespoons pickle juice

Directions

1. Mix ground beef with egg, milk, worcestershire sauce, onions, 1/4 cup diced dill pickles, cracker crumbs, parsley, dash of salt and pepper.
2. Form into meatballs and brown all sides in frying pan.
3. Add cream of celery soup to stock pot or crock pot with 1 can water, remaining pickles, and pickle juice and stir until blended.
4. When the meatballs are browned on all sides, drain any grease and transfer them to the soup mixture.
5. Try to cover them all with the soup for better cooking results.
6. Cover with lid and simmer for 1 hour on the stove or for 4 hours on low in a crock pot.
7. Tip: Stir often to make sure that the meatballs are not sticking to the pot, and the soup is not boiling.
8. Serve over white or brown rice, or egg noodles.